A search and rescue crew on Monday recovered the body of 22-year-old Chase Morland from an Oklahoma lake. The man's friend, country music singer Craig Strickland, 29, has not yet been found, leaving fans and bandmates hoping for a miracle.
"We are trying to think of a scenario where he is still alive -- hoping against the odds," Strickland's band, Backroad Anthem, posted to Facebook on Monday. "We can't even stand to think about it. We are devastated. Only God & time can put us back together."
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Morland's body was recovered in Kaw Lake, a 17,500-acre body of water in north-central Oklahoma. The lake is located approximately 92 miles northwest of Tulsa.
Foul play is not suspected, but an investigation continues into the cause and manner of Morland's death.
The search for Strickland was suspended Monday night due to fading light and poor weather conditions. The search resumed early Tuesday morning.
Morland was reportedly a resident of Van Buren, Arkansas. Strickland is the lead singer and acoustic guitarist for Backroad Anthem, a country/rock band from Alma, Arkansas. He also is married to former Miss Arkansas Helen Wisner.
Strickland and Morland were reported missing on Sunday, after they failed to make contact with friends.
Hours before their disappearance, Morland posted an ominous tweet to Twitter that said the two men were going hunting.
"In case we don't come back, @BackroadCraig and I are going right through Winter Storm Goliath to kill ducks in Oklahoma," Chase Morland tweeted just before midnight Saturday.
On Monday morning, authorities found a boat the two men had been piloting capsized in Kaw Lake. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported Strickland's dog was found alive at the scene.
Wisner's aunt, Angel Wisner Owen, said family members are anxiously awaiting news from searchers.
"We love Craig and we hope he is alive somewhere," Owen told the Gazette. "Craig is the most full-of-life person you will ever meet. He has never met a stranger. You just love him from the minute you meet him."
No additional details were immediately available Tuesday morning.
