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ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Remains of the long-missing Missouri River "ice surfer" have been found along the river near Chesterfield, authorities said on Friday. 

The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County medical examiner's office confirmed the remains were that of Aaron Duenke, the Franklin County man who disappeared in December 2022 while riding chunks of ice down the river.

The Missouri Highway Patrol, which announced the identification, said Duenke was found Sunday.

Duenke's disappearance had spurred weeks of unsuccessful searches by authorities and others.

According to family members at the time, Duenke, then 34, of Washington, Missouri, had set out on the river near Dundee, a few miles west of Washington.

Social media posts showed Duenke riding atop an ice floe, holding a paddle. Family members said it was a stunt he had done before.

When he failed to arrive at a meetup point between Washington and Labadie, the search began. A Facebook page, Aaron Duenke Search Efforts, helped coordinate volunteer searchers and generated 5,000 followers.

First responders from more than a dozen agencies combed the river's muddy banks, flew helicopters and piloted heat-seeking drones above.

Shane Camden, a friend of Duenke whose guide shop in New Haven served as the command post for volunteer searches, said he has mixed feelings about the discovery and identification of the remains. Duenke had worked at the shop and the adjoining bar-restaurant, he said.

"It's bittersweet, you know," Camden said. "The hard part was getting over losing him; we were able to do that years ago."

He added that "we found a little bit of comfort that Aaron was still with the river and so now we're separating him from that."

At the same time, Camden said, "I'm very happy for the family" that "we are able to get a little bit of closure here."

The patrol, in its release Friday, said the state Conservation Department assisted the patrol in recovering the remains.