On December 4, 2001, an unseasonably warm day in Riley County, Kansas, 18-year-old Kyle Chapman, a freshman at Kansas State University, embarked on a sailing trip with two of his friends and fellow students, Christopher Shipley, 18, and Timothy Michael Bennett, 19. After finishing their classes for the day, the three experienced sailors set out on Tuttle Creek Lake in Chapman's yellow 15-foot racing sailboat.
They launched from the Blue Valley Yacht Club, located in the Tuttle Cove area on the west side of the lake, leaving their shoes behind on the dock. The trio, all of whom were qualified sailing instructors and Eagle Scouts, were familiar with the lake and had previously camped overnight in the area.
When the young men did not return to campus, a friend reported them missing at approximately 5:15 p.m. the following day. Initially, it was thought that they might have decided to camp overnight as they had done before. However, concern grew, and a search was initiated. On December 6, two days after they were last seen, the search party made a grim discovery. Chapman's capsized sailboat was found empty and adrift in the lake. The boat's keel and rudder were detached, and the jib sail was found in its bag inside the boat. That same day, the body of Timothy Bennett was located in Carnahan Creek on the east side of the lake, about half a mile from where the boat was found; he was still wearing his life jacket.
Despite the mild temperatures, which reached into the seventies, the sailing conditions on December 4th were described as "terrible" with strong winds. Authorities believe the three friends encountered trouble on the water, leading to the tragic outcome. Extensive searches were conducted by air and on the ground for Kyle Chapman and Christopher Shipley, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. Kyle's truck and empty boat trailer were found parked at the lake with the students' personal belongings still inside. Foul play is not suspected in their disappearance. The case is an overview of a recreational outing that turned into a tragedy, leaving the families of Kyle Chapman and Christopher Shipley without answers as their bodies have never been recovered. Both young men are presumed to have drowned in Tuttle Creek Lake.Last Seen: Dec 4, 2001
