Jun 7, 2008 9:21 am US/Eastern
Crews Resume Search For Man At Ohiopyle State Park
OHIOPYLE (KDKA) ―
Officials have resumed searching today for a missing man who was swept over the falls in Fayette County's Ohiopyle State Park.
Crews say they 25-year-old Canonsburg man was apparently wading in the Youghiogheny River on Friday afternoon when the current swept him away.
"The victim traveled approximately 1.7 miles around Fern Cliff Peninsula. That's a hundred acre peninsula," Park manager John Hallas. "There are five major class three rapids along the peninsula that his body was in at that time and he was bobbing up and down."
Hallas said kayakers spotted the victim, but the class four, expert rapids made it too difficult to reach him and he plunged over the waterfall.
"You need expert boat handling skills to negotiate the rapids. The waterfall itself is under normal flow, summer flows that are several feet less than what they are today," he added. "It's a 20 foot drop. The hydraulic at the base of the waterfall is very dangerous."
On Friday, crews with Fayette County EMS, the Confluence Volunteer Fire Department, Connellsville Fire Department, along with guides from river tours searched by boat and along the shore for five-and-a-half hours.
"We do not know the condition of the victim," Hallas said. "We know that he was in a serious situation when was last seen at the high bridge."
Stay with KDKA for the latest details.
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