Two teenage brothers, Wesley Cornett, 17, and Andruw Cornett, 19, have been missing for over a week in Northern California after they went duck hunting in stormy weather on December 14th. They went hunting at the Thermalito Afterbay, a large body of water in Butte County with 17 miles of shoreline and 4,300 surface acres of water. Search efforts began the same day the teenagers went missing, with approximately 250 people from 21 different organizations involved in the search for them.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has been coordinating the search efforts for Wesley and Andruw Cornett. Various organizations, including the SCSO deputies, detectives, the BCSO Aviation and Marine Unit, and BCSO Search and Rescue, have been involved in the search. Search efforts have involved searching thousands of acres by boat, by ground, and by raft. Despite these efforts, the boys have yet to be found. Jeff Eggleson of Big Valley Divers mentioned that the most challenging aspect rescuers have faced is navigating through the thick weeds at the base of Thermalito Afterbay.
Heavy rain and winds swept across Butte County on Saturday, leading to power outages for about 5,000 people. The boys’ mother, April Clark, created a GoFundMe page titled “Help April Clark Find and Honor Her Sons” to raise money for search efforts and, eventually, their funerals. In the description of the GoFundMe page, Clark explained that Wesley overturned on the kayak, and Andruw swam into the water to try to help him. Despite Andruw’s heroic efforts, both boys have been missing since then. The sheriff has now classified the search for the boys as a recovery mission.
April Clark expressed the devastation and heartbreak she and her family are going through due to this tragic incident. She mentioned that the sheriff calling it a recovery mission has been difficult to accept for the family. Clark also highlighted that they have four girls at home who they still need to care for in the midst of trying to find closure for their missing sons. She urged people to donate to the GoFundMe page to help the family find and lay her sons to rest. Clark emphasized the heroism of Andruw in trying to save his brother but underscored the emotional turmoil the family is facing due to the uncertain circumstances surrounding the boys’ disappearance.
