>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

WEISER, Idaho — Authorities say search and rescue divers have recovered the body of an Oregon man believed to have drowned after a boating mishap at the Brownlee Reservoir.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department says crews pulled the body of Dr. Steven Bauer from the reservoir on Tuesday.

Bauer, 48, of Nyssa, was last seen Sunday afternoon. Authorities say they are still investigating the boating mishap that led to Bauer’s death.

The 57-mile reservoir is on the Snake River and is part of the Idaho-Oregon border.

Baker County divers joined searchers from the Washington County and Adams County sheriff’s offices in Idaho, Idaho State Police and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office Monday to search the river, said Baker County Sheriff Mitch Southwick.

Bauer was fishing at the river with his father, his sons and a friend when the boat overturned. The cause is under investigation, Southwick said.

The accident happened about 4:15 p.m. on the reservoir near Morgan Creek, Southwick said.

Thrown into the river were Bauer, his 74-year-old father, Wilbur Bauer of Dundee, and Steven’s 20-year-old son, John Bauer of Nyssa.

Southwick said none of the three were wearing a life jacket, although they were carrying them in the flat-bottomed boat.

Wilbur and John Bauer each were able to grab a flotation cushion to keep themselves afloat, but they were unable to reach Steven Bauer, Southwick said.

The boat capsized when Steven, who had been fishing with his group on the Oregon side of the river, attempted to take his boat across to the Idaho side where another boat in the fishing party was having better luck catching fish, Southwick said.

The other boat was piloted by a family friend, James Casad, 59, of Fruitland, Idaho. Bauer’s son, Nicholas Bauer, 16, of Nyssa, was in the second boat, along with a third son of Bauer’s, whose name was not available.