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UPDATE: Missing Boater ID’d As Rains Hinder Search Crews

Posted at 10:25 AM, Sep 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-09 10:33:59-04

CYNTHIANA, Ky. (LEX 18) — The search for a missing Winchester boater entered a second day on Sunday with crews continuing to face obstacles created by relentless rains.

The Harrison County Search & Rescue’s Facebook page identified the missing man as Porter Lamb.

It also said crews were waiting for water levels to fall before returning to their search.

Porter Lamb

What had started Saturday morning as a friendly fishing tournament turned into a terrifying situation when two friends got too close to a dam in South Fork Lick River.

“The hydraulics at that dam right now are very dangerous,” said Rejeana Craft, chief of Harrison County Search and Rescue. “So, therefore, boats cannot get so close.”

That’s when they found themselves in trouble.

“As he pulled the trolling motor up to make sure everything was OK, when he put it back down it snapped off,” Craft said. “He turned and went into the dam.”

The second man stood up in the boat, and then it flipped over.

One man made it to shore, but officials are still looking for a 77-year-old Winchester man.

“We have rescue boats in the water looking, we have people along the river banks searching the river banks up and down the stream,” Craft said.

A ropes team also was on hand and a dive crew was ready to go as well. It was a full team effort from several area agencies.

Family members of the missing man also were at the scene. They said the man loved to fish and was out on his boat most weekends.

“We’ve explained to them everything we are doing to help locate him and anything that we can do,” Craft said. “Even if these crews get tired, we’ll call in other crews from different counties.”