BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Sunday marks two years since Buffalo Police Officer Craig Lehner went missing when he did not resurface during a routine training mission with the Buffalo Police Underwater Recovery Team in the Niagara River near Unity Island.
Coast Guard crews said as part of their initial search efforts, they discovered the cable keeping Lehner secured against the current had broken.
Buffalo Police divers found his body five days later near Strawberry Island, about two miles from where he first disappeared.
More than 15 different agencies assisted in the search, including teams from Canada and New York City.
A funeral service for Lehner was held at the KeyBank Center. Streets from Downtown Buffalo to Forest Lawn Cemetery during the procession were lined with people paying tribute the fallen hero.
The City of Buffalo renamed their K-9 training facility on Louisiana Street after Lehner in May 2018.
"Lt. Lehner made it his mission to make our city, our country -- a better and safer place for everyone," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown in May 2018. "And in renaming the Buffalo Police K-9 Facility in his memory, we will ensure that his legacy will never fade from importance or memory."
A new member of the BPD K-9 Unit was also named Lehner in honor of the fallen officer.
