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Police discovered the body of missing country singer Craig Strickland in the shape of a cross, according to his wife, Helen Strickland.
"We can finally rest knowing that he is at Home in Heaven with his Father," Helen Strickland posted on Instagram after they found the body.
"The night of the accident he had fought his way out of the water and up a hill before the stages of hypothermia set in. He experienced no pain in his final moments and simply felt like he was falling asleep. They found him lying in the shape of a cross looking up to his Father. Thank you to every single person who prayed for him and our family during this time. There was not a more peaceful way for him to go into the arms of our Lord, and I know your prayers had a role in making that happen. I know he saw Jesus at that moment when he laid down and walked arm in arm with Him into a better Everlasting Life."
Strickland and a friend, Chase Morland, disappeared while duck hunting in Oklahoma Dec. 27.
Though search teams discovered Morland's body on Dec. 29, Helen Strickland's faith propelled her hope.
Strickland's wife frequently tweeted Bible verses and prayers to inspire friends and fans: "'You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.' - Psalm 56:8 (heart emoji)"
"Lord, we thank You for Your strength, grace and mercy. You alone can hold us up through our most difficult trials," she tweeted on New Year's Day.
On Jan. 3, she tweeted, "'Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.' - Romans12:12 (heart emoji) I will trust in you Lord, always."
When Strickland's body was found, Helen gave glory to God: "He is safe with his Father in Heaven. Thank you Lord for leading us to him today. I will praise you, Amen."
Strickland was a member of Backroad Anthem, a country rock band Strickland pitched in 2012.
After news of Strickland's death spread, the band turned to God, as well.
"Thankful to know he fought his way from the water to a hill and was lying in the shape of a cross on his back looking up to his Heavenly Father," the band posted on Facebook.
"Revelation 21:4 'He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' We pray today for God to wrap his arms around Randy, Joanne, Helen, and the family, and to help us through this extremely difficult time. We want to thank every single friend, fan, and family member for your thoughts, prayers, and love. Today he is smiling down on us and we know he will always be with us. He will always be here to help guide us along the way. We love you Craig Strickland and we will forever miss you!"
Please continue to lift up the Strickland family in your prayers.
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Strickland's Widow on Husband's Final Moments: 'I Know He Saw Jesus'
01-05-2016
The wife of 29-year-old country singer Craig M. Strickland says searchers have found his body. He went missing last week after he went duck hunting with a friend at Kaw Lake in Oklahoma.
Helen Strickland posted online, "They found him lying in the shape of a cross looking up to his Father."
The body of Strickland's hunting partner, Chase Morland, 22, was recovered Dec. 28.
Strickland says it appears her husband was able drag himself out of the lake before dying.
"The night of the accident he had fought his way out of the water and up a hill before the stages of hypothermia set in. He experienced no pain in his final moments and simply felt like he was falling asleep," she said.
Strickland testified online, saying, "I know he saw Jesus at that moment when he laid down and walked arm in arm with Him into a better Everlasting Life."
Craig Strickland was the lead singer of the Arkansas-based country-rock band Backroad Anthem.
Morland tweeted ahead of their hunt suggesting the pair knew the danger.
"In case we don't come back, BackroadCRAIG and I are going right through (the storm) to kill ducks in Oklahoma #IntoTheStorm," Morland tweeted.
A powerful weather system blasted Oklahoma with high winds during the Christmas weekend. Searchers found the pair's boat Dec. 27, the same day the two disappeared.
