Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni says the body pulled from the icy river at York Hydro yesterday is 17-year old Medard Kowalski Jr., who was reported missing by his parents on December 1st. He had disappeared while canoeing to Hoak Island to go hunting. Workers combed the river for weeks after he went missing, but only found his canoe and other personal belongings.
Friends and family held a prayer vigil last night. They prayed for closure. Kowalski’s father thanked the community for their supports and their efforts to find his son. He said of the accident, “Just got into probably a little bit of a tough situation and it’s nobody’s fault. It’s not the river’s fault, it’s not the canoe’s fault. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just a sad situation.”
The coroner says the cause of death was freshwater drowning and the manner was accidental.