Backroad Anthem frontman Craig Strickland was confirmed dead on Monday after he went missing last month while duck hunting during a violent storm, and as fans mourned, his wife shared details of his final moments.
“Craig was found today. We can finally rest knowing that he is at Home in Heaven with his Father,” his wife, Helen Strickland, wrote in a heartbreaking Instagram post on Monday afternoon. “The night of the accident he had fought his way out of the water and up a hill before the stages of hypothermia set in.
“He experienced no pain in his final moments and simply felt like he was falling asleep. They found him lying in the shape of a cross looking up to his Father,” she revealed.
The 29-year-old Backroad Anthem lead singer and guitarist’s body was discovered at Bear Creek Cove near Kaw Lake in Kay County, Oklahoma, over a week after his boat capsized.
Strickland and a friend, Chase Morland, had left their native Arkansas on Dec. 26 for a duck hunting trip despite severe weather forecasts of Winter Storm Goliath.
Their boat was found just after midnight on the morning of Dec. 28. Morland’s body was recovered by officials at around 11 a.m. that day and Strickland’s dog, Sam, was found alive watching over the corpse.
Search efforts for Strickland continued for several days, with sonar boats and dogs being called in for assistance.
Backroad Anthem’s other members are Toby Freeman, Eric Dysart, Josh Bryant, Brandon Robold and Isaac Senty. The band’s official Facebook page also posted a message about his death on Monday.
“Today we lost our brother, our best friend, our bandmate. Craig was the most amazing person whose passion for life couldn’t be matched,” it read. “Today he is smiling down on us and we know he will always be with us. He will always be here to help guide us along the way.”
See the Instagram message from Helen below.
http://www.instagram.com/p/BAIQA3oHZN5/