Search continues for boat crash victim on Lake Cumberland

JAMESTOWN, Ky. (WKYT) - A search is underway for a man who went missing after a boat crash on Lake Cumberland.

The search is in its third day in the Lily Creek section of the lake.

Officials have not released the man’s name. He is 59 years old and from Lexington. He was on the lake around 11 a.m. Central Time Saturday when the crash happened.

Search challenges

Chris Money, with Russell County Search and Rescue, said the depth of the water is a challenge.

“So our challenges in this area, are that it’s very deep; we don’t have an exact location of where this individual went in,” Money said.

The water is more than 100 feet deep. Money said recent weather has made the lake clearer, but the search remains difficult.

“We have a really close area, however it’s too deep for divers. It takes some specialized equipment to get down there and search that area well,” Money said.

Reconstructing the crash

Fish and Wildlife officers are working to reconstruct the collision.

Lt. Chris King, with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, described the crash.

“There was a boat fishing at the mouth of Lily Creek and Lake Cumberland, using a life scope. 2 individuals on a boat when another boat came through the channel, collided with the boat that was fishing,” King said.

Both people on the bass boat went into the water. One resurfaced unhurt. The other did not.

Local and out-of-state crews have worked together in the search.

One person who spoke with the missing man’s wife described him as “a fantastic man” and said he “is a great loss to his family.”

Officials say they believe the crash was a tragic accident. The drivers of both boats agreed to blood tests. An accident reconstruction is being done to determine the cause.