Body Believed to be Brett Olson Found on Sacramento River

People fishing Sunday on the Sacramento River found a body that has been positively identified as Brett Olson, the Cal Poly student from Lafayette who went missing after attending the Chico Float last weekend, according to a report in the Chico Enterprise-Record.

A Glenn County Sheriff's Department spokesman said the body was found floating downriver from the gravel beach where Olson was last seen partying with friends at about 4 p.m. Sept. 2. The body was in mid-river. It was spotted by people fishing on the riverbank and a nearby boat was summoned to recover it.

After the body was recovered and brought to a boat ramp, Olson's parents, Michael and Elizabeth Olson, identified their son's body, the Enterprise-Record reported.

The search for Olson, 20, had been a focus of media attention throughout Northern California. A $50,000 reward had been offered for his safe return, and a Facebook page titled "Let's Bring Brett Home" had attracted more than 90,000 fans.

A friend of Olson's, Juliana del Beccaro, told the Contra Costa Times, "So many people just lit a fire up under this story and made sure that Brett's name was not going unheard. It really meant a lot to (his family) that so many people were backing them up."

A is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday at . The vigil also will be streamed live online.

A Facebook post attributed to the Olson family says:

Dearest Facebook friends,

You all are our friends now. There are not words to describe how moved we have been by everything all of you have done for us. You filled us with hope and love this week which we will carry with us for the res of our lives. the last time our son Brett was seen was about 4pm one week ago today. We are thinking that at about 4pm today, please pause and give a hug to someone close or send one to our son. May that bring each of you, and Brett, a feeling of hope, love, peace, and strength.

With our deepest gratitude,
The Olson family

The president of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where Olson was a theater arts major, issued this statement:

"This is devastating news. We all held out hope that there might be a different outcome to the search. It's painful for all of us at Cal Poly to lose someone whose life was filled with so many dreams and hopes. I can only imagine the grief that Brett's family feels. Our deepest sympathies are with the Olson family as they move through this difficult time."