Body of missing father of five found in Georgia lake after kayaking trip

Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he did not show up to pick up his children from school, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said.

A search ensued and authorities tracked his last location to Lake Lanier in Georgia, where they found Valencia's car parked nearby, along with his flip-flops and the bag used to store his inflatable kayak.

On Friday, the department announced that game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, using sonar equipment, located a body in the lake. Divers from the Forsyth County Fire Department recovered the remains from about 51 feet of water near the center of a cove.

On Monday, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office confirmed the body was that of Valencia. 

Authorities said the 43-year-old kayaker was not wearing a life vest at the time of his drowning.

An official cause of death has not been released. The case remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit. The sheriff's office referred Fox News Digital to the department's press release.

"Please continue to share [and] pray," a GoFundMe for the family said. "The Valencia family feels your love and strength, and they are deeply grateful for the community that surrounds them."

The man-made lake has a maximum depth of about 160 feet and was created in the 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.