Bren Orton Found Dead After two week search in Switzerland

Bren Orton Found Dead After two week search in Switzerland

The body of a British kayaker has been recovered two weeks after he went missing in Switzerland, his sponsors have confirmed.

Bren Orton, 29, was found in Lake Maggiore on Thursday after going missing in Switzerland’s southern Ticino region on May 16.

His kayak manufacturer Pyranha said: “It is with immense sadness that we announce that our friend and ambassador Bren Orton is no longer with us.”

“The outpouring of love and support from the paddling community since Bren went missing has been extraordinary.

“This support has been a profound source of strength for all of us, especially for his family and close friends. Sending our love to our paddling family at this time.”

The firm said that Orton had become “trapped in a recirculating feature and did not resurface.”

Orton documented his kayaking journeys on Instagram, where he amassed more than 55,000 followers.

In a 2020 interview, he described kayaking as a “sport that challenges you on so many levels, provides access to some of the nicest people on the planet and takes a kid from Warrington to Africa in pursuit of the best rapids”.

He holds the British record for the highest waterfall descent in 2019 after plunging 128ft down Big Banana Falls in Mexico.

A spokesperson for Ticino police said: “Shortly before 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) in Locarno, the lifeless body of the man who disappeared on May 16 while kayaking in the Melezza was found in the waters of Lake Maggiore.

“The alarm was triggered by a sailor who found the body in the water and immediately notified the emergency services.”

Former kayaker, James Reeves paid tribute to Bren, writing on Facebook: “Every few years we seem to lose a friend to our sport. Each loss is tough, and this one cuts deep.

“Bren Orton was an incredible human. From his teenage years, his warm smile and friendly nature shone as brightly as his kayaking skills … I was privileged to briefly mentor Bren in his early years, and then watched in awe as he rose to became one of the greatest whitewater kayakers ever.”

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