Searchers located the body of a Charleston man who drown in Sutton Lake Tuesday evening about 7:00 p.m. On Wednesday officials identified the victim as 25-year-old Kevaughn Jamar Montgomery.
Montgomery disappeared Monday at approximately 11:30 a.m. while boating with family in the Wolf Creek area of Sutton Lake. The man, whom family members told officials couldn’t swim, jumped into the water after his son went down a slide attached to the boat and was struggling in the water after his life jacket shifted while going down the slide. Officials say Montgomery was not wearing a life jacket. After getting the child back on the boat, the man went under water and did not resurface.
Rescue officials were on scene within an hour, however their efforts to recover the victim on Monday were curtailed, unsuccessfully, at dark. Search crews were hampered by poor underwater visibility. The Sutton Volunteer Fire Department, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources and a dive team from Summersville participated in the efforts to find the missing man.
The search resumed early Tuesday, without a team of divers from Summersville, who were called back to their home county to search for a missing 44-year-old man at Summersville Lake.
Efforts were successful when a DNR diver located the missing man, tangled in a submerged tree inside the Wolf Creek no-wake zone in approximately 12 feet of water, around 7:00 p.m.
This is the first time the newly formed West Virginia Department of Natural Resources Dive and Rescue Team has been utilized, just two weeks after their official launch.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mr. Montgomery during this difficult time. His heroic actions to save his son are a testament to his courage and love,” said WVDNR Police Chief Col. Bobby Cales told a television crew covering the accident. “This tragedy underscores the importance of using life jackets and taking all necessary precautions on the water to ensure the safety of our loved ones while enjoying our beautiful waterways.”
Officials praised the cooperative efforts of the various agencies and volunteers as well as the support of Sutton Lake Marina.