Three victims of deadly Greene boating collision identified
The last of the three missing passengers from a boat that collided with a barge in the Monongahela River Sunday night has been recovered, a state Fish and Boat Commission spokesman said Wednesday.
The Greene County coroner’s office identified the victims Wednesday morning as Eric Rockwell, 58, of Scenery Hill; Racquelle Rockwell, 56, of Scenery Hill; and Brian Selvoski, 57, of Bentleyville.
Their time of death was listed at 8:45 p.m. Sunday, the time of the initial collision between the barge and pleasure craft.
The cause and manner of death are still pending investigation, the coroner’s office said.
Emergency personnel recovered the body of a male from the river Wednesday morning, after a member of the public reported seeing an object floating in the river from the vantage point of Rices Landing, said Mike Parker, communications director for the Fish and Boat Commission.
The bodies of a male and female boater were recovered early Tuesday evening after sonar led divers to their location in the vicinity of the original crash, located near mile marker 70 close to the Fayette County border, Parker said.
The recovery mission concluded around 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Rices Landing Volunteer Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims during this incredibly difficult time,” the department said. “Over the past three days, countless volunteers, first responders, rescue teams, and supporting agencies have worked tirelessly throughout the search and recovery efforts. We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted.”
Crews from the towboat Megan Ames that was transporting empty barges were able to rescue two of the boat’s occupants from the water. A woman taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., later died. The fifth victim, a man, was taken to a Pittsburgh area hospital. As of Wednesday morning, he was alive, but his condition was unknown, Parker said.
The four-day search drew in help locally as well as from neighboring counties and states, bringing sonar, dive teams, helicopter searches and other resources to recover the missing boaters.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will investigate to put together more details, working with the U.S. Coast Guard and others, Parker said Wednesday.