By Staff Reports
A Putnam County man spending the Fourth of July weekend camping with friends on the New River drowned Saturday after he slipped while fishing and was swept downstream, National Park Service officials said.
The body of the 31-year-old man was recovered approximately a mile downstream in a large pool of water, about 2 1/2 hours after a search began, said Gary Hartley, chief ranger of the New River Gorge National River.
The man’s name was not released, pending notification of his family. The body was sent to the state medical examiner’s office in South Charleston.
Hartley said park service rangers responded to the scene, 2 miles downstream from Terry, after the Raleigh County 911 center received a call around 2 p.m.
The victim was wading and fishing, but not wearing waders, when, according to witnesses, he appeared to bend over to pick up something. He slipped and fell, and the current pulled him downstream, Hartley said.
Campers on the opposite side of the river saw the man fall and realized he was in trouble, Hartley said. They got a rope and cooler, ran down to the river, waded out and tried to throw the rope and cooler to the victim, but he was being pulled downstream too fast.
Those trying to help then lost sight of the man, Hartley said.
Hartley said a search of the bank on both sides of the river was started immediately and two swift water rescue boats were put into the river. The state Division of Natural Resources also had a boat on the river and Jan-Care Ambulance assisted.
