At 9:19 am the Lawrence County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a fisherman in the river after his boat sank in the Black River in Black Rock. Black Rock Fire, AET Ambulance, Black Rock Police, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Dive Team were all dispatched to boat ramp in Black Rock.
Black Rock Police arrived to find the male had swam to the bank, the officers made contact and requested the ambulance to check out the victim but stated other than cold and wet he seemed to be uninjured.
The fisherman stated that when he launched his boat, shortly after he noticed it was taking on water and quickly sank. The boat overturned and was partially submerged near the island in the Black River close to the bridge. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Dive Team arrived and launched their boat with assistance from the Black Rock Police and made contact with the overturned boat. Two local Black Rock residents launched a boat to assist in the recovery, the submerged boat had to be towed down river to the Powhatan Boat Launch.
Cook’s Wrecker Service from Walnut Ridge was called to the scene, the boat was towed to the shore where it was turned right side up with a wrecker and UTV courtesy of the Powhatan Court House before being recovered from the water.
