Body of missing Kentucky college student found in lake, officials confirm
A Kentucky college student who went missing this week while preparing for a fishing tournament in Texas was found dead Friday morning.
Peyton Hughes, 21, was a member of the Campbellsville University Kayak Bass Fishing Team. He was at Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana border preparing for a Bassmaster Kayak Series tournament scheduled for Sept. 27-28 and did not return to a designated meeting place, Bassmaster said in a statement.
Hughes’ traveling partner contacted authorities to report him missing. Bassmaster said the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began searching for Hughes and later found his kayak.
His mother, Sara Hughes, said her son’s body was found Friday morning in the lake. A spokesperson for Campbellsville University and game wardens with the parks and wildlife department also confirmed Hughes’ death.
Game wardens said Hughes’ body was pulled from the water around 7:15 a.m. local time.
“Our thoughts continue to be with Peyton’s family, friends, teammates and fellow students at Campbellsville University during this difficult time,” the game wardens said in a Facebook post.
In a Facebook post Friday, Sara Hughes thanked people for their prayers and support.
“Peyton wasn’t just my son — he was my joy, my laughter, and my pride,” she wrote. “He had such a passion for fishing and life, and he chased his dreams with all his heart. His smile lit up every room, and his kindness left a mark on everyone who knew him.
“I know he’s now with his dad, both taken far too soon, but it doesn’t make this pain any easier.”
A statement posted on the GoFundMe account page that was set up to help with funeral expenses said Hughes’ father was 21 years old when he died while serving in Iraq 20 years ago.
“To lose them both at the same age feels beyond imaginable,” the page stated.
Bluegrass Kayak Anglers, an organization for kayak fishermen in Kentucky, said it was crushed to learn the news about Hughes’ death.
“Peyton was such a wonderful person, an ELITE angler, a great friend to everyone and such a strong part of our kayak fishing community and this loss is cuts right to the core,” the organization said in a Facebook post.
Hughes was a kind man with exceptional skills with a rod and reel in his hands, said his friend, Jay Wallen, who had fished with Hughes many times in recent years. Wallen met Hughes when he first started competing at Bluegrass Kayak Anglers fishing tournaments in 2022.
Wallen said Hughes won a lot of the tournaments, but when he didn’t win, he would congratulate and compliment the other anglers.
“I beat him at a tournament in Cumberland, and he came up and congratulated me and told me he looked up to me. That just took me aback,” Wallen said.
Wallen also described Hughes as humble.
“He was such a kind person and was outgoing,” Wallen said. “He would seek you out just to come talk to you, so I’ll definitely miss that about him.”
Herald-Leader staff writer Karla Ward contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 10:47 AM.
