Bodies of man, teen girl recovered from Kanopolis Lake, sheriff says
The bodies of a man and teenage girl who went missing Thursday at Kanopolis Lake have been recovered.
They were identified as 40-year-old Jerrod Dalke and 14-year-old Khloe Hein, Ellsworth County Sheriff Kenny Bernard said Saturday in a phone call.
The bodies were pulled out of the water at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Bernard said.
Authorities responded at 7:21 p.m. Thursday to a call near Kimble Point at Kanopolis Lake. The sheriff’s office said three people jumped from a boat into the water to swim. The current pushed the boat away and they were unable to get back on it.
Those three people were Dalke, his daughter, and her friend Hein, according to Bernard.
A camper spotted Dalke’s daughter struggling to swim to shore. The camper jumped into the water and helped get her out. She was taken to Lindsborg Hospital, then airlifted to Wichita in serious condition.
Kanopolis Lake is 91 miles northwest of Wichita.
This story was originally published July 5, 2025 at 6:10 PM.