Body found by beachcomber was missing fisherman
YACHATS, Ore. -- The body found in the surf by a beachcomber last week belongs to one of the two men who disappeared Nov. 18 while fishing on the Oregon Coast.
The Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division confirmed Tuesday that the body belonged to William Arthur Bodewig, 62, of Yachats, Ore.
Bodewig was one of two men reported missing Nov. 18 after they failed to return from a local fishing trip between Yachats and Heceta Head.
The Coast Guard recovered fishing gear belonging to Bodewig and 23-year-old Nick Lutz of Florence, Ore., on Nov. 19. The two disappeared while fishing from a rocky portion of the coast during stormy weather.
On Dec. 3, 2009, a citizen walking on the beach near Smelt Sands State Park spotted a body in the surf line and reported it to police. Oregon State Police, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, and Yachats Fire Department responded.
There was no identification found on the body, which appeared to have been in the water for several days. Fingerprint records were used to confirm the identity of the body as Bodewig, and his next of kin have been notified.
