Police say that authorities surveyed the lake on boats using side-scan sonar technology, "which provides a birds-eye view of the water." They continued to look for Bueker until "low visibility" temporarily suspended their search during the early morning hours on Sunday, and resumed searching after sunrise.

The sonar system detected Bueker's body at the bottom of Mud Lake around 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, according to the sheriff's office. Once the body had been recovered, deputies and investigators confirmed Bueker's identity with help from his friends and family. His death is currently being investigated as an accidental drowning, although the sheriff's office noted that his body will still be sent to the State Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

"I truly pray that the successful recovery of Judge Bueker's body by our deputies and Arkansas Game and Fish Wildlife Officers brings some sense of closure to the Bueker Family and those who knew him best," said Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods in a statement shared with the office's press release announcing Bueker's death. "The scour of emotions they must feel right now is devastating."