Drowning: Man Presumed Dead
FRANKLIN COUNTY--The search is called off for a man investigators say drowned near Othello.
It happened at Scootney Reservoir off Hwy 17.
Four men were fishing when their boat started taking on water.
Dive rescue combed the water for the body of Pedro Valentin-Javier, the 39 year old man from Othello.
He was fishing with his son and two others, family and friends anxiously awaiting any news.
“It was witnessed so we're in recovery mode,” Dan Blasdel Franklin County Coroner said.
Saturday night the sheriff's department got a call that a boat sunk at Scootney Reservoir and only 3 men came to shore, 1 still missing.
Franklin County Sheriff's Department says there were four people in the fishing boat when it started to take on water, but it’s only meant for 1 person, with a weight capacity of 245 pounds.
Also, nobody was wearing a life jacket.
“The water is inherently dangerous, you go into the water with out a life jacket in the cold water, the shock of going in makes it dangerous in itself,” Deputy Sheriff Mark Boyer said.
Rescuers searched until dark on Saturday and continued Sunday morning, but called it off.
Now they wait until the body comes to the surface.
The Franklin County Coroner says we get 1 or 2 drownings every year.
“We live by a lot of water and there are a lot of people that enjoy the water, unfortunately people go out and they don't take the precautions that they should such as wearing a life jacket,” Dan Blasdel said.
In this case, the sheriff's department says it's tragic because it could have been prevented.
The coroner says it could take a few weeks for the body to surface.
It happened at Scootney Reservoir off Hwy 17.
Four men were fishing when their boat started taking on water.
Dive rescue combed the water for the body of Pedro Valentin-Javier, the 39 year old man from Othello.
He was fishing with his son and two others, family and friends anxiously awaiting any news.
“It was witnessed so we're in recovery mode,” Dan Blasdel Franklin County Coroner said.
Saturday night the sheriff's department got a call that a boat sunk at Scootney Reservoir and only 3 men came to shore, 1 still missing.
Franklin County Sheriff's Department says there were four people in the fishing boat when it started to take on water, but it’s only meant for 1 person, with a weight capacity of 245 pounds.
Also, nobody was wearing a life jacket.
“The water is inherently dangerous, you go into the water with out a life jacket in the cold water, the shock of going in makes it dangerous in itself,” Deputy Sheriff Mark Boyer said.
Rescuers searched until dark on Saturday and continued Sunday morning, but called it off.
Now they wait until the body comes to the surface.
The Franklin County Coroner says we get 1 or 2 drownings every year.
“We live by a lot of water and there are a lot of people that enjoy the water, unfortunately people go out and they don't take the precautions that they should such as wearing a life jacket,” Dan Blasdel said.
In this case, the sheriff's department says it's tragic because it could have been prevented.
The coroner says it could take a few weeks for the body to surface.
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