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KCSO determined that what a kayaker saw was not a human body in the river

Posted at 5:10 PM, Jan 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-27 15:05:32-05

UPDATE (January 27, 2018 12:05 p.m.) After searching for what a kayaker reported to be a body in the river, KCSO determined that what the kayaker saw was not a human body.

Westbound Highway 178 is expected to reopen within one hour.

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UPDATE (January 26, 2018 7:30 p.m.): Kern County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team was unable to successfully recover the body of the unidentified adult in the water due to lighting and downstream hazards, according to KCSO. 

KCSO was able to visually confirm, however, that there was a body in the water.

Crews will try to recover the body from the river early tomorrow morning, officials said. 

KCSO Search and Rescue learned of the body after a kayaker saw the body as he was rafting in the river around 3:11 p.m. 

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UPDATE (January 26, 2018 5:51 p.m.): The Kern County Sheriff's Office confirmed with 23ABC the unknown body located near the mouth of the canyon is not Juan Torrez. 

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UPDATE (January 26, 2018 5:50 p.m.): All lanes of Highway 178 are reopened at the mouth of the canyon, according to the CHP traffic website. 

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The Kern County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team says there is an unknown body in the river near the mouth of the canyon along Highway 178. 

Eastbound and westbound traffic is impacted, according to the CHP traffic website. 

This is a breaking news story, please check back for updates.