The search for Jeremiah Sanders came to an end on Saturday afternoon when the body of the dead fisherman was found on the Tennessee River, ending a search that stretched for three weeks.
Jeremiah and his brother Jacob Sanders, the bassist for the band the Velcro Pygmies, had been fishing on the Tennessee River on March 2 when their boat capsized. Authorities searched the difficult water for weeks in an attempt to find the bodies of the two men, and earlier in the week the body of Jacob Sanders was found.
Jeremiah’s body was found and recovered Saturday near McFarland Park, which is on the Colbert County side of the Tennessee River.
“Jeremiahs body had finally been found,” family and friends shared on a fundraiser for Jeremiah’s family . “Thank you for you prayers and thoughts and please continue to keep donating to help Brittney’s mourning process be just a tiny bit easier. You will be missed Jeremiah Jimmy Sanders!”
The search for Jeremiah and Jacob Sanders had attracted national attention as fans of the Velcro Pygmies, a popular cover band that plays more than 200 concerts a year, spread the news of their disappearance and helped in search efforts for the missing bassist. The band members gave regular updates of the search through their Facebook page and also led fundraising efforts to benefit the families of Jacob and Jeremiah.
The band went on hiatus as crews searched for the bodies of Jeremiah and Jacob Sanders, but returned after more than a week for a series of benefit concerts.
“We will be with the Sanders family with heart and soul. But Jacob would be itching to get to the show and to concentrate on music and the crowd for a little while,” the band posted on its official Facebook page. “This show and every show we will ever play will have Jacob be a part of it.
“He’s influenced us on and off the stage.”
Sunday, April 3rd, New Directions in Louisville.Benefit for Velcro Pygmies bassist Jacob Sanders & brother Jeremiah. pic.twitter.com/yo6jonNFJ4
— Kaptyn Krunch (@BigBlueBlair) March 16, 2016
It was actually the band that broke the news on Tuesday that the body of Jacob Sanders was found.
“We hoped, and prayed for a miracle, but it wasn’t meant to be. Our hearts are heavy as we can now report it was Jacob who was recovered this morning. The search continues for Jeremiah, and we hope for a resolution soon. Please share this so we can let the entire PygVerse know. We love you guys.”
The search for Jacob and Jeremiah Sanders often found difficulties as weather and water conditions hampered search crews and divers. Many times in the first week authorities had to delay the search.
The body recovered this morning has been identified as Jacob Sanders; the search continues for his brother, Jeremiah https://t.co/0ciqBHyNha
— AL.com (@aldotcom) March 15, 2016
Colbert County Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Melton told the Times Daily that heavy winds stopped search efforts in the second week.
“It was a little added hazard,” he said. “It is March, and it’s supposed to be windy.”
Melton said the search went in spurts, with crews pulling back when conditions grew dangerous.
“Mother Nature’s going to be in charge for just a little while, as far as affecting the small boats,” Melton said during the second week of the search. “The larger boats, if it’s not really bad, they can get out and check a few things. We’re going to do our best to try and take care of our people, but get them out there as soon as we can whenever we can.”
With the search for Jacob and Jeremiah Sanders now over, family and fans of the Velcro Pygmies have come together to support their families, raising tens of thousands of dollars through a series of online fundraisers.
[Image via Facebook ]
