Body of missing Hood River kayaker recovered from Columbia River on day 5 of search, found near Hood River Sandbar

The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 7, 2026 — The body of David Kalousdian, a Hood River man who disappeared while fishing from a kayak on the Columbia River, was recovered Tuesday, Oct. 6, near the same sandbar where his kayak was found adrift five days earlier.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office received a report at approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday of a body in the Columbia River near the tip of the sandbar adjacent to Hood River. Deputies responded and recovered the body shortly afterward.

Authorities identified the body as Kalousdian, who had been reported missing from the same general area on Oct. 1.

The cause of death was not given by the Sheriff’s Office in the press release. CCCNews will provide more information on this story when it becomes available.

The recovery concludes the search launched after Kalousdian’s fishing kayak was found adrift near the confluence of the Hood and Columbia rivers, with its trolling motor still running.

The sheriff’s office said its investigation determined that Kalousdian’s inflatable life vest did not have a recharge kit installed, rendering the vest ineffective.

The Oct. 1 search brought together the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol and aircraft, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Police and the Hood River Police Department.

Multiple reports of a small boat adrift near the sandbar were received at approximately 2:08 p.m. Oct. 1. Marine Patrol located the fishing kayak a short time later, with its trolling motor still running, and authorities began searching the surrounding area for its owner.

Kalousdian was later identified as the kayak’s owner, but he was not located during the initial search.

By approximately 7 p.m. Oct. 1, the sheriff’s office had shifted the mission from a search to a recovery operation and presumed Kalousdian deceased.

The circumstances surrounding his disappearance had remained unclear. Authorities had not previously said whether anyone witnessed him enter the water or what caused him to become separated from the kayak.

The sheriff’s office said the search efforts included its Marine Patrol vessel and Search & Rescue plane.

In a statement, the sheriff’s office said that although the search ended sadly, the agency was honored to recover Kalousdian’s remains and hoped the recovery would provide his family with some sense of closure.