(Hemphill, Texas) On September 26, 2025, The Sabine County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, in Louisiana, recovered the body of Peyton Hughes, 21 of Springfield, Kentucky from the Toledo Bend Reservoir, near the Alpine Marina. Hughes had been reported as missing since approximately 8pm on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, by his fishing coach.
Hughes was participating in the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series and was engaged in pre-fishing before the start of the tournament. Hughes was also part of the Campbellsville University fishing team which was also participating.
Starting on that Wednesday, after the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office was notified, Deputies were dispatched to the area, along with the Pendleton Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, Game Wardens from the Texas Parks and Wildlife and representatives from Eye in the Sky Recovery Incorporated, a local search and recovery firm that is equipped with multiple drones with assorted capabilities. Hughes’ kayak was recovered banked, on an island, several hundred yards East from, the Alpine Marina boat lunch, in an area that locals refer to as Alligator Cove. Searchers, also recovered Hughes baseball cap. The search was suspended after midnight.
On Thursday the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office returned and resumed the search before daylight with the assistance of several additional agencies which included the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office marine and dive teams, Louisiana Fish and Game agents, local residents and Eye in the Sky Recovery representatives, Texas game wardens, Alexandria Fire Department dive teams and the Pendleton Harbor Volunteer Fire Department. A flip-flop was recovered late in the day in the same general area where the kayak had been recovered. All attempts to locate Hughes met with negative results and the search was again suspended after dark.
On Friday, all of the above agencies plus the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and the Cajun Navy, all, staged assets at the Alpine Marina boat launch and resumed searching before sunrise with air assets and specially equipped boats. Close to 7:30 am, the dive team from the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office reported the discovery of a body in the general area of the island, some two hundred yards North of the kayak recovery site. Additional assets were dispatched from the boat ramp to assist. The body, once recovered, did match the description provided for Hughes, to authorities.
Sabine County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1 was called to the scene as well as Starr Funeral Home. The Justice of the Peace ordered an autopsy and the body was transported to Forensic Medical of Texas, in Beaumont.
The Sabine County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our heart felt condolences to the family and friends of Hughes, as well as to his teammates, coaching staff, students and the facility of the Campbellsville University, during this difficult time.
We would also like to thank all of the assisting agencies from Texas and Louisiana, the Eye in the Sky Recovery, the private organizations and the countless number of volunteers who assisted over the last three days.