Country singer Craig Strickland found dead

New York: Country singer Craig Strickland was found dead near an Oklahoma lake one week after he and his friend went missing.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed that they found Strickland's body on the shoreline of Kaw Lake, where the Backroad Anthem singer's boat had capsized.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's office reported the cause of death as drowning and exposure to freezing temperatures, but the full autopsy is not expected for another four to eight weeks. Strickland, 29, and his friend Chase Morland were reported missing after they went duck hunting during a storm in the region north of Tulsa on December 27.

Their boat capsized some time that day around 9 pm.

Deputies said the two men and a dog were on a boat too small for all of them. Morland's body was found on December 28, but Strickland's family held out hope that the singer might still be alive when his dog was found alive and rescue teams continued the search. His wife, Helen Wisner Strickland, tweeted a heartbreaking message after his body was found. "#CraigStrickland was found today. He is safe with his Father in Heaven.

Thank you Lord for leading us to him today. I will praise you, Amen."