A YouTuber in Missouri has helped police find human remains believed to be those of a man who went missing in 2013.
James Hinkle, who runs the channel Echo Videos, alerted authorities after locating a vehicle submerged in a small pond on private property while flying his drone last week.
Mr Hinkle had been searching the area for clues related to the disappearance of Donnie Erwin, who was 59 when he went missing from Camdenton, Missouri, in December 2013.
“When I found out that Donnie was a veteran and lived an hour and a half from my home in Clinton, Missouri, I knew I could help with the search,” Mr Hinkle, who oversees a scuba diving search and rescue team, told CNN via Facebook.
According to a press release from the Camden County Sheriff’s office the vehicle was confirmed to be a Hyundai Elantra belonging to Erwin, and was recovered on 16 December.
Veteran Donnie Erwin has been missing since December 2013— (Camden County MO Sheriff’s Office/ Facebook)
On Sunday, with the help of cadaver dogs, divers recovered human remains from the pond as well as an artificial hip consistent with the one Erwin had.
While a forensic pathologist will have to examine the remains to determine for certain if they are indeed those of Erwin, investigators are confident the hip and remains belong to him, the force said.
Investigators immediately notified Erwin’s family of the recovery.
“All of us at the Camden County Sheriff’s Office who have investigated this case for ten years are elated at the recovery and overjoyed with the closure we know this brings to the family,” the force said in a statement.
“This development would not have been possible without the assistance of countless volunteers throughout the years. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you all.”
Detectives previously received a call from the owner of the property, who had been contacted by Mr Hinkle following his discovery.
He arranged with the property owner to search the area on foot and by kayak and found a light-colored submerged passenger car in the pond.
Deputies and detectives from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office as well as members of the Mid-County Fire Protection District Dive Team then responded to the area and met with Mr Hinkle and the property owner.
Divers searched the pond and verified the license plate on the submerged vehicle matched the plate on Mr Erwin’s missing Hyundai.
