The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

July 26, 2009

Teen dies after fishing accident

FROM STAFF REPORTS

One of four anglers who tumbled into the Kanawha River at Gauley Bridge near the Kanawha Falls Public Fishing area was found dead Sunday, ending a storm-hampered search by police and firefighters.

Three other people made it ashore without injury when their fishing boat overturned.

Officials identified the lone casualty of the fishing trip as Cyrus James Rose, 17, of Strange Creek, whose body was discovered at Falls View, a short distance from where the boat flipped over.

Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler said authorities were called to the scene around 3:21 a.m. to investigate a report that several people were in the water and yelling for help.

Sent to the river were Cpl. T.N. Mooney of the sheriff’s office, and water rescue personnel from volunteer fire units in Smithers, Boomer, Gauley Bridge and Montgomery, along with EMS personnel from General Ambulance.

Authorities soon learned that one of the occupants of the craft swam back to the shore, while two others reached an adjacent island.

Firefighters launched into an immediate rescue mission for Rose, but their attempts were suspended temporarily around 5:45 a.m. when severe thunderstorms rumbled through Fayette County.

The other three occupants of the boat were identified by Kessler as Samuel D. Rose, 40, and Johnathan Rose, 17, both of Strange Creek, and Joshua Rowe, 25, of Cleveland, Ohio. The relationship of the Roses wasn’t known.

“None of these individuals sustained any injuries as a result of his accident,” the sheriff said. “It was reported that all of these individuals were familiar with the area and had fished in this area on multiple occasions.”

An initial investigation revealed that none of the four was wearing a life jacket.

Mooney and C.J. Whittington, a conservation officer with the state Division of Natural Resources, were investigating the accident.

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