Boat Mishap: 2 People Dead, 3 Missing After Boat Capsizes In Ohio River

A 14-year-old boy and another adult man have died after the boat they were traveling in capsized. The accident happened in the Ohio river near Louisville, Kentucky. Three other people who were on the boat have been reported missing following the incident, ABC News reports.

Initial reports say that there were a total of nine people onboard the boat when the accident occurred. This has been confirmed by Louisville Fire Chief Gregory Frederick. The incident happened on Saturday night. The cause of the mishap has not been ascertained. Initial reports however say that the boat hit a barge near a construction site and capsized.

Chief Gregory confirmed that four people were rescued from the boat while three others — including one child — remain missing. A team from the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as local rescue crews were searching the river.

Meanwhile, it has now come to light that the boat involved in the incident was a rented pontoon boat. The group had rented the boat at around 8 p.m. Saturday. The accident was reported shortly before 9:30 p.m. The first to arrive on the scene was a fire boat which found the pontoon capsized and pinned underneath a work barge.

Gregory Frederick later told local media that the river had turned extremely dangerous due to the recent rains in the region and could have caused the accident, the Toronto Sun said.

“There is a new bridge being constructed near Interstate 65, and at the base of the new bridge tower is a work platform that is like a small barge. Due to the rain, the river is extremely hazardous.”

He added that the currents observed in the river was very strong and that it contained a lot of debris and driftwood. The four rescued individuals were lucky and do not have life-threatening injuries. At this time authorities are not suspecting any foul play behind the cause of this mishap

The news of this boat mishap from Louisville comes just a day after the Inquisitr reported about the unfortunate death of a five-year-old girl who was hit by a leaping sturgeon while she was on a boating trip with her family.

[Image Via ABC News]