Cottage Grove man who went missing from campsite found dead in Dorena Lake

Missing Cottage Grove resident Robert Ray Bennett II was found dead by a boater who discovered his body in Dorena Lake southeast of Eugene on March 2, officials said.

Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue crews had been searching for Bennett after he went missing from his campsite near Brice Creek on Dec. 28. High water levels at Brice Creek and Row River complicated search operations for volunteers at the time, officials said.

Deputies said they recovered Bennett downstream in Dorena Lake after he was located by the boater.

Lane County officials said an investigation is ongoing, but they believe Bennett fell into Brice Creek, which was running near historically high levels at the time of his disappearance.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@registerguard.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Missing Cottage Grove man found dead in Oregon’s Dorena Lake