On August 25, 2014, at approximately 8:00 am, members of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management, Alexander Rescue, and Wittenburg Fire Department recovered the body of Chong Lee, Asian Male, age 75, of Catawba County, who had been reported missing on August 23, 2014 at 10:30 pm. The victim’s canoe was reported to be floating several hundred yards below Oxford Dam Bridge near Riverbend Park on Saturday, August 23, at approximately 11:00 am by employees of the Catawba County Riverbend Park. The victim’s 1992 Toyota truck was located at the Oxford Dam on the Alexander County Side near Wayside Church Rd and Hwy 16 S on Saturday, August 23 at approximately 10:30 pm. A full-scale rescue search began on August 23, 2014 at approximately 10:30 pm. Members of the Alexander County Rescue Squad, Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Alexander Rescue, and Wittenburg Fire Department began the search with both water and land searches. These searches were called off at approximately 3:00 am on Sunday morning, August 24, and resumed at approximately 8:00 am. Agencies from Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Alexander County Rescue, Lovelady Fire Department, Troutman Fire and Rescue, Catawba County Emergency Management, Wittenburg Fire Department, Taylorsville Fire Department, Ellendale Fire Department, Sherrill’s Ford Fire and Rescue, and Iredell Rescue Squad assisted in the search. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol Helicopter was called for their assistance for a low-flying grid search of the water. Family members found the victim’s shoes at approximately 7:00 pm on Sunday evening near where the body was located in the water. A family member of the victim spotted Mr. Lee floating in the water at approximately 7:30 am on August 25, 2014, and called 911. The victim was transported to North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem for an autopsy.
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