Coroner: Franklin Co. teen found dead in kayak likely drowned

A discovery on the Kentucky River has turned into a death investigation.

The search started after someone called 911 Monday morning, saying they saw a man in a kayak that appeared to be down. The caller spotted the man in the river near the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

A captain with the Department of Fish and Wildlife tells WKYT they discovered the body of a white man around 8:30 Monday morning. The captain says the man was dead in the kayak.

The cause of the man's death is still under investigation.

On Monday night, investigators released the man's name. They have identified him as Keyan Wickers, 18, of Frankfort. Wickers was a member of the Civil Air Patrol in Frankfort.

"When you're in a little boat like that, and all the boats that come up and down the river, you need to be careful where you're at on that river. If I was in a boat like that I"d stay close to the side," said Sherri Hopper, who has lived along the river her whole life.

Kentucky State Police are working with Fish and Wildlife handling the investigation.

According to the Franklin County coroner, a preliminary autopsy indicates Wickers's cause of death was consistent with drowning. The coroner says he is waiting for toxicology results and the full autopsy to determine an official cause of death.