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Crews locate body of missing Preston man in Cub River

Posted at 3:08 PM, May 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-27 22:47:28-04

PRESTON, Idaho — Search and rescue crews located the body of a man from Preston who was reported missing Thursday after he left to go for a hike with his puppy and did not return.

Bailand Johnson,19, went for a hike with his puppy, Lily, in the Cub River area Thursday, and he did not return home when expected. Search and rescue crews began searching early Saturday morning with the assistance of helicopters and search dogs.

Among those who assisted in the search was a group of volunteers from Utah Search Dogs. Nine dog teams searched the area for more than three hours before one of the dogs found Johnson in the Cub River.

Authorities believe Johnson fell into the river and drowned.

“We train weekly with our dogs for just such an occasion as today, but it doesn’t make the recovery any easier,” said team member Eric Sedgwick, whose dog Tiberius located Johnson.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office also expressed their condolences.

“Our hearts are heavy with sympathy for the family and friends,” police stated. “We appreciate the compassion from our community and all the volunteers who showed up and were turned away so they wouldn’t interfere with the Search dogs.”