Three Dead and Two Missing After Dropping Over Dam in Inflatables

Three Dead and Two Missing After Dropping Over Dam in Inflatables

Free-floating tubers on Esopus Creek in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Image - ScubaBear68 from Brooklyn, United States. Edited slightly by Daniel Case prior to upload, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

THREE people are dead and two are missing after nine people, allegedly all from the same family, disappeared after floating down a river on inflatables and dropping over a dam.

THREE people are dead and two are missing after nine people, allegedly all from the same family, disappeared after floating down a river on inflatables and dropping over a dam. The tragic event happened on the Dan River, North Carolina, Rockingham County emergency services director Rodney Cates said. Four of the members of the group have non-life-threatening injuries after being taken to hospital.

The group are believed to have gone tubing on inflatable rubber rings. They ended up dropping down over the Duke Energy dam at around sunset, Mr Cates said, according to Sky News.

The dam, Cates said, is around 2.5m (8ft) in height. He added that an employee of Duke Energy saw some of the group of tubers and called 911 emergency services to inform them of the incident.

The sheriff’s office identified those who died as Bridish Crawford, 27, Antonio Ramon, 30, and Sophie Wilson, 14.

The two missing are Teresa Villano, 35, and Isiah Crawford, 7.

Yesterday, Friday, June 19, search teams were trying to locate the missing people using boats and helicopters, the search will resume today, Mr Cates said.

Mr Cates said that those who were rescued had spent the night floating in the water close to the dam and were finally found clinging to their tubes after staying afloat for 19 hours.

He described them as “very, very fatigued” when they were found.

The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) sends warnings every year about using inflatables in water and on the beaches. Their website states that it is easy to get swept away in an inflatable, specifically on the beach because of the tides, but it is equally as important to be careful on lakes and rivers.

Always keep a close eye on children, and always wear a lifejacket.


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Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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