1 Body Found In Search Of Arizona Couple Who Vanished While Kayaking In Mexico

One body has been found in search of an Arizona couple who went missing while kayaking in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, during Thanksgiving.

The Mexican navy reported Sunday that the body of a woman matching the descriptions of one of the missing individuals was found near the Mayan Palace hotel after a search operation involving air, land and sea resources, AZ Central reported, citing Civil Protection and Firefighters in Puerto Peñasco.

The couple, identified as Yeon-su Kim and Corey Allen, set out for their kayaking adventure on Playa Encanto, a local beach, Saturday and never made it back to the shore. High winds started blowing when the couple was in the middle of their trip, prompting Allen to bring their daughter to the shore before going back for his wife, according to the New York Post.

Local authorities confirmed in a tweet that a multi-agency search operation was launched with help from the Mexican navy as well as volunteers who conducted searches across air, land and sea. As per a statement by the Coordinación de Protección Civil y Bomberos Puerto Peñasco, the deceased was confirmed to be Kim by her sister-in-law.

The couple, both professors at Northern Arizona University (NAU), lived in Flagstaff, which is a five-hour drive away from Puerto Peñasco. Alternatively known as Rocky Point, Puerto Peñasco is a coveted travel destination among people in Arizona.

There was no trace of Corey as of Monday. Authorities are still searching for him.

NAU president José Luis Cruz Rivera mourned Kim's passing in a statement and hailed her for her devotion and passion for the university. "The first time I interacted with Yeon-su, I walked away impressed by her love of NAU, passion for our mission and devotion to advancing the well-being of our university's community," the statement read, as per 12 News.

"Yeon-su was an invaluable faculty member in the School of Forestry and esteemed academic leader who joined NAU in September 1998 and has served as the school's executive director since July 2021," the statement continued. "Her accomplishments and contributions to her academic discipline, our university's mission, and the broader community were many, and — in consultation with her family and friends — we will find the appropriate time and place to celebrate her legacy of a life well-lived."