Searchers scour Hopewell Lake for missing man
The man jumped out of a boat on Sunday, official says
Water- and land-based search and recovery teams resumed a search Monday of a small lake in French Creek State Park for a 26-year-old man who jumped out of a boat and disappeared below the water’s surface Sunday evening.
Since about Sunday evening, personnel on watercraft have logged more than 30 miles on the 68acre Hopewell Lake, while those on foot have logged an undetermined amount of miles along the wooded shore, James Wassell, park operations manager, said Monday afternoon.
The search began shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday when officials were alerted to an incident in which several people, including children, were clinging to the side of the boat and one passenger was missing.
Wassell said the description of a capsized boat in initial dispatches was disputed by the family members who spoke to authorities after they were brought ashore by rescue teams.
Wassell said the family was adamant that the 26-year-old man jumped out of the boat.
It was unclear why the other remaining occupants, some of whom wore life vests, were in the water, clinging to the sides of the boat.
The lake, which is normally open for recreation including small boats and kayaks, remains closed while the search continues.
At any one time, four or five boats, including craft operated by Boyertownbased
Keystone Water Rescue Inc., are on the lake.
Personnel from Birdsboro-Union Fire Department, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, National Park Service and Pennsylvania state park system also have maintained a presence, among other agencies supporting the search personnel.
Crews searched through most of the night, suspending operations about 3:30 a.m. Monday to refuel. Search teams on foot were deployed after daybreak, when search boats also returned to the lake.
More teams were scheduled to arrive Monday evening.