Body Recovered From Bird Creek Identified As Missing Barnsdall Man, Family Confirms

The body that was recovered from Bird Creek on Saturday has been confirmed to be a missing Barnsdall man.

The family has confirmed that the body of Wayne Hogue, 81, was recovered several miles south of Barnsdall. Hogue was reported missing after an EF-4 tornado hit his home and the town of Barnsdall on May 6.

The Osage County Sheriff's Office sent out the following message:

"We regret to inform the community that the Medical Examiner’s Office has positively identified the deceased male recovered from Bird Creek on Saturday, May 11th, as Mr. Wayne Hogue. Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Hogue’s family and friends during this difficult time.

The Osage County Sheriff's Office extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who assisted in the search efforts, including the Christian Aid Ministry Search & Rescue (CAM-SAR) team. We appreciate the community’s support and cooperation throughout this process.

Thank you."

Mayor Johnny Kelley says he knew Wayne his whole life.

"He was just a great man, he was a good salt of the earth person, he was as kind and as good of a person as you could ever wanna meet," he said.

The mayor says he's deeply grateful to everyone that came out and is glad Wayne's family finally has closure.

Related Story: Barnsdall Mayor Delivers Recovery Update To Residents Following Tornado

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