End comes for search of missing Dayton man

DAYTON -- The search ended Sunday for a 19-year-old Dayton man drowned in the Carson River.

Ben Maxwell's body was found partially submerged on a snag about four miles down river from where he was last seen struggling June 2, according to Lt. Jeff Page of the Lyon County Sheriff's Department.

Lyon County Search and Rescue volunteers and sheriff's deputies had searched the river on foot and in the water for seven days, bringing in Washoe County Hasty divers and search dogs.

Sunday's discovery by search-and-rescue volunteers was made at about 4 p.m. a half mile from the railroad tracks and on the edge of Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Page said.

"We wanted to do our best to find him," he said. "We're relieved we were able to do that."

A family member positively identified Maxwell's body.

Maxwell, a metal fabricator in Carson City, was swimming with friends when he jumped in after a dog that was having trouble. Witnesses said Maxwell began to struggle near a cottonwood that had fallen across the river. Debris and the river's level -- estimated at 10 feet deep where he became missing -- caused a combination of currents near the tree, and Maxwell was sucked into the snag, authorities said.

Dozens of volunteers from area search-and-rescue units covered the 20 miles of river to Lake Lahontan, making several passes over the diversion dams and into Fort Churchill by land and water.

Page said about 50 volunteers and deputies from Lyon, Mineral, Churchill and Carson counties began the seventh day of the search Sunday at 8 a.m.