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Jan 2, 10:12 AM EST

Body of duck hunter recovered from Kansas lake



JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) -- The body of a Fort Riley soldier who disappeared while duck hunting on Christmas Eve has been recovered from a Kansas lake.

The Geary County Sheriff's office says 31-year-old Spc. Thomas Hedrick's body was retrieved Wednesday from Milford Lake. The native of Thebes, Ill., was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division's 1st Combat Aviation Brigade.

The sheriff's office says Hedrick became stranded on ice on the lake while trying to retrieve a duck he shot. He called for help when his makeshift boat began to sink but fell through the ice before help arrived. The search efforts were suspended twice because of weather conditions but resumed on Monday when conditions improved.