2 Bodies Found in Ariz.'s Salt River After Kayakers Disappeared on Easter
Shane Coates and Ryan Jacobs were missing for 6 days after embarking on a kayaking trip on Phoenix's Salt River April 9
After a week of uncertainty, the bodies of two missing Arizona men have been found.
Shane Coates, 38, and Ryan Jacobs, 38, went out kayaking on the Salt River in Phoenix, Arizona on April 9 and were declared missing around 10 a.m. local time that day.
According to the city's fire department, a bystander heard the men yelling for help from the kayak, and ran to call 911 at a nearby gas station, local station CBS-5 reported. Once the witness returned, the men were no longer visible.
Over the weekend, Phoenix police recovered two bodies from the riverbank, which are now confirmed to be Coates and Jacobs.
On Saturday, police recovered Coates' body and his identity was later confirmed by his family. The family told 12-News that a tattoo that says his last name helped authorities identify him.
The next day, Jacobs' body was found and identified as the missing father and husband.
Police are investigating the death of the two men, and Maricopa County Medical Examiner will be conducting an official autopsy to determine their cause of death, according to CBS-5. Phoenix police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
GoFundMe pages have been set up on behalf of the families of both Coates and Jacobs.
On Monday, Jacobs' friend Kaelin Soto shared an update about Jacobs on his GoFundMe page, confirming reports that his body had been found. "Thank you everyone who came out and helped search, the prayers, and the donations. At approximately 1:30 p.m., April 16 a body was spotted in the river. After 7 days of non stop searching from sun up to sun down, Ryan was found."
Soto, who organized the page on behalf of Jacobs' wife, Tonya Jacobs, described him as "a father, husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend."
Funds collected from the page would directly benefit Jacobs' wife and their son. "We do not know what the future may hold but we want to ensure Ryan's wife Tonya and his son are taken care of," the page said.
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On the GoFundMe page for Coates, his sister, Christan Coates, opened up about her loss. "My brother was very excited to get out on the Salt River Sunday and he did just that with his friend Ryan Jacobs," the page said. "Our hearts are broken."
Funds collected will help "cover costs with transportation of Shane's body to Michigan once it is found as well as getting his kids to Michigan for the funeral and the funeral itself."
Over $18,000 has been raised for the two men so far.
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