BAKER CITY — A 17-year-old boy who had been the subject of a week-long search in the area of Hewitt Park in eastern Baker County was found dead Friday night.

A kayaker at the park spotted the body of Thierno Bah floating in the water west of the boat docks about 50 yards from shore, Ashley McClay, Baker County Sheriff’s spokeswoman, said Monday.

The Baker County Sheriff’s Office was notified at 6:03 p.m. Friday

“It does appear that at some point he fell in the water and drowned,” McClay said.

Bah could not swim, she said.

“This is not the outcome myself, or anyone on our Search and Rescue team, had hoped for,” Sheriff Travis Ash stated in a press release. “Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Thierno.”

Dr. James Davis, Baker County medical examiner, said drowning was the cause of death.

“There were no signs of any other contributing factors there,” Davis said.

Bah had gone missing on Friday, July 3, from the Hewitt Park campground where he was vacationing with his foster parents, Ahmed Ebeid and Omnia “Nora” Mahmoud, who live in the Portland area, and a group of friends.

The park is in eastern Baker County, 3 miles east of Richland just off Highway 86.

Bah, was originally from the West African country of Guinea. He had been placed in foster care with the Portland-area couple about two months ago, McClay said.

Bah had gone for a walk about 5:30 Friday evening. He commonly took long walks, family members said. They called to report him missing about 9 o’clock that night after he failed to return to camp.

McClay said Bah is believed to have fallen in the water and died sometime that night.

Last week, his family offered a reward to anyone with information that might lead to helping searchers find the boy.

Members of the Baker County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team began searching for Bah on July 3. They later were joined by members of the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon Department of Forestry, Idaho Power and Oregon State Police.

The search included ground crews who interviewed people camped at Hewitt Park and the nearby Holcomb Park on Brownlee Reservoir as well as residents of the Richland and Halfway areas. Aerial drones with infrared capabilities, boats equipped with side scan sonar, a diver and a fixed-wing aircraft were used during the effort to find Bah. Fliers with photos of Bah and a description of him also were distributed in the area.