Esteban Parra

The News Journal

The body of the missing Dover Air Force airman whose pickup was found on the shoulder of the Del. 1 bridge has been located.

Dover police and family confirmed that Senior Airman Keifer Huhman's body was located Thursday afternoon.

"Keifer Huhman has been found," his father, Kenneth Huhman, posted on Facebook. "We will be bringing him to Pensacola for his final resting place at Barrancas National Cemetery. Thank you everyone for your support. I will be offline for a little while. Thank you everyone in DE who kept looking.

"Thank you for bringing my son home."

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The 21-year-old airman was last seen between 6 p.m and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 leaving his home in the Blue Hen Apartments in Dover. He was operating a blue 1997 Ford Ranger with Florida tags, according to Dover police. State police found the truck and towed from the Del. 1 bridge over the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal about 10 p.m. that day.

Dover State Police Master Cpl. Mark Hoffman confirmed that Huhman's body was found about noon Thursday along the rocky banks of the C&D Canal, near Dutch Neck Road.

"The body was discovered by a fisherman in the area," Hoffman said. "Officials turned the body over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science (Medical Examiner), who later identified the body as Keifer Huhman."

A friend of the family said the truck was in the northbound section of the bridge and its hood was open.

The first sign that Huhman, a member of the 436th Communications Squadron, was missing came when he failed to report to duty at Dover Air Force Base. His family then filed a missing person's report with Dover police on Feb. 10.

Volunteers began searching for Huhman along the canal the weekend after his disappearance.

Earlier this month, Col. Michael Grismer, commander of the 436th Airlift Wing, declared Huhman dead. A memorial service was held for on March 11 at the Dover Air Force Base's Main Chapel.

Kerry Patton, a Huhman family friend, said the family will be asking for an autopsy to be performed in an attempt to determine what happened.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.