Search for ‘drowning’ victim called off after two-day effort

After more than 11 hours combing the waters near the Laurel Lake spillway, emergency personnel determined reports of an individual drowning Saturday afternoon were inaccurate.

“I’m sure they saw someone in the water and from there I don’t know what happened,” said Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses concerning the middle-aged couple who called 911 about 4:45 p.m. to report that a teenage boy had gone under the water and never resurfaced. “It may have been a good swimmer who went under the water and came up someplace else among a group of people.”

Members of Woodbine Search and Rescue Laurel County Water Rescue and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife searched the water until approximately 9 p.m. using a combination of divers, sonar and underwater cameras.

Emergency personnel returned to the scene about 10 a.m. Sunday and continue to search until approximately 4 p.m.
Moses said that the area where the teen was reported to have gone under is about 15 feet deep and there is no current in that area.

In addition to the water search, Moses said officials searched the beach for any personal effects that may have belonged to the individual and a vehicle that may have been left in the parking lot across the road.

“There was nothing left on the beach and there was only one car remaining in the parking lot, but we knew who that belonged to,” Moses said, adding that there have been no missing persons reported.

“They truly believed what they saw and we believed them,” Moses said when asked if it could have been a hoax and whether any charges would be filed.

“They stayed there for a long time and they were concerned enough that they wanted someone to call them if the individual was found,” Moses added.

Other agencies responding to the call included: Oak Grove and Bald Rock fire departments, Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies, Kentucky State Police and Whitley County EMS