Whitley County family swept away by high water, found dead Saturday

Investigators found the family’s vehicle near Newman Campbell Road Saturday. Three people died in the tragedy.

A mother, father and their two-year-old son were found dead in their vehicle late Saturday morning in Jellico Creek.
Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley pronounced the family dead about 10:40 a.m. The preliminary cause of death was drowning.

The victims are 39-year-old Shannon Kier; his wife, Susan Kier, 29, and the couple’s two-year-old son Lee Kier.

"It’s a very, very tragic sequence of events," Croley said.

Family members reported trio the missing about 8:03 p.m. Friday.

"They had left Friday about 11:30 a.m. A relative called and wanted us to be on the lookout for them," said Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell.

Deputy John Hill initially received the call and telephoned the reporting party to get the exact information that they had. Hill then sent out a be on the lookout notice to local agencies and deputies began looking for the family.

Harrell said the vehicle, a white Chevy Impala, left the roadway about 250 yards upstream from where it was located.

"It was traveling north on the Newman Campbell Road," Harrell said. "Apparently the individual entered the water and the water was very swift. Apparently he didn’t realize how deep the water was. The current picked up the vehicle and took it into Jellico Creek. The vehicle overturned and went back upright before coming to rest against some trees in Jellico Creek along the bank."
The vehicle was discovered about 9:27 a.m. Saturday at least partially submerged in the mud by a relative, who was out looking for the family. The vehicle was found about 8.5 miles west of Williamsburg.

"In that particular area, we estimate that the water was over the roadway approximately seven feet," Harrell said. "It is a very narrow, gravel road that runs right along the banks of Jellico Creek."

The bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.

Harrell said Saturday morning that the investigation was still in its preliminary stages but no foul play is currently suspected. He warned this could change if additional evidence or information were discovered.

Harrell said that the family was in the process of moving a relative to Ryan’s Creek, which is in the general area where they were located.

"From all indications this is just a very, very tragic accident," Harrell said. "Never underestimate the power of a body of water. Never enter moving water. It is just the wrong thing to do. Just stop, turn around and go somewhere else until the water goes down."

The Whitley County Sheriff’s Department and the Whitley County Coroner’s Office are in charge of the investigation. Kentucky State Police, the Williamsburg Police Department, Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses, Judge-Executive Pat White Jr., Whitley County EMS, and Goldbug Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene.