Search continues for three missing boaters
Collision with barge occurred Sunday night in Greene
Crews resumed the search Tuesday for three missing boaters involved in a collision with a barge Sunday night on the Monongahela River in Greene County.
The collision occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday in a remote area of the river near the Fayette County border. Officials said Monday afternoon that the search had entered the recovery stage.
Two others on board – a male and a female – were rescued Sunday night by the pilot of the tugboat piloting the barge. The woman later died at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., according to Michael Parker, communications director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The condition of the male, who was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital, was not available Tuesday.
Helicopters, dive teams, sonar and other emergency resources were called in for the search, which assisting agency Luzerne Township Fire Department said focused on the area near the 70-mile marker of the Monongahela River, between Arensburg and East Millsboro on the Fayette County side of the river and Crucible and Rices Landing on the Greene County side.
Crews were using the area near the Rices Landing borough offices, a mile-and-a-half from the crash site, as a staging area.
All three were still missing as of Tuesday afternoon. Parker said crews were wrapping up the search at 5 p.m. Tuesday because of rain but were expected to resume Wednesday. Diving was likely to occur only as needed Wednesday, but search would continue via boat, Parker said.
The Luzerne Township Fire Department warned boaters and area residents in a social media post to be cautious and remain observant near the area.
People who see anything unusual in the river or on the bank should not approach it, but instead should call 911 with a detailed description, the department said.