Search for missing boaters in Greene County turns to recovery
2 others rescued after boat-barge collision
RICES LANNDING 鈥� The search has entered recovery mode for three people missing after a boat-barge collision Sunday night near Rices Landing, Greene County, Emergency Management Agency Director Richard Policz said Monday afternoon.
Greene County 911 took the emergency call from the captain of the tugboat piloting the barge shortly before 9 p.m., prompting a rescue mission starting last night and resuming early Monday morning.
The search brought in resources from four counties, the Morgantown, W.Va., fire department, state agencies and a Maryland State Police helicopter.
Multiple sonar units and dive teams had combed the section of the Monongahela River near the crash site, finding nothing, Policz said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a canine out searching; they鈥檝e hit some areas that鈥檚 in the water,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o we just have not found anything out, but we鈥檙e still keeping hope up. As you can see, it鈥檚 a lot of vegetation along the banks.鈥�
Most of the search was concentrated in a 100-by-100-yard grid near the crash site, in which Policz called a 鈥渧ery rural, desolate area of the river鈥� near the border with Fayette County. Because of the limited access, emergency groups used a staging area by the Rices Landing borough building, about a mile-and-a-half south of the crash site.
It still hadn鈥檛 been determined what circumstances led to the crash between the barge and the private vessel, which was carrying three men and two women, said state Fish and Boat Commission Sgt. Frank Mehalko.
After the collision, the barge operator stopped the vessel so two of the barge crew members could board a life vessel, Mehalko said. They were able to rescue two of the boat passengers from the river.
An adult male was flown to a Pittsburgh area hospital, while a female was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., Mehalko said. Their conditions were not provided Monday afternoon.
Three others 鈥� two men and a woman 鈥� were still missing.
Policz said the river was the calmest it had been in several weeks, aiding the divers.
Mehalko said there was no information available Monday afternoon on what caused the collision or how fast the vessels may have been traveling. The boat was pulled from the river by crane and was being transported Monday afternoon for further investigation and accident reconstruction, Mehalko said.
Greene County District Attorney Brianna Vanata was on the scene, but said as of Monday she was just there to offer support for any needs the Fish and Boat Commission may have.
鈥淪hould charges be forthcoming, we鈥檒l let everyone know,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e just here to help.鈥�
After a break, Policz said, the search teams were going to reconvene Monday afternoon.
鈥淓verybody you see here has been here since approximately 10, 11 o鈥檆lock last night, besides taking a short break this morning, so everybody鈥檚 becoming very fatigued,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e may just do some river searches on the boats and give the divers some breathing room, and we鈥檒l just have to see.鈥�