1 Dead, 8 Rescued After Boat Goes Over Lake Linganore Dam in Maryland

Details of why the nine people were boating after considerable rainfall Saturday were not available Saturday night

 

 

Jun 27, 2015, 10:39 PM ET

By ABC NEWS via Good Morning America

Rescuers work to pull people from the water after a boat went over Lake Linganore Dam in Maryland, June 27, 2015. 

One person died and eight others were rescued from Lake Linganore after their boat went over the dam, leaving some stranded in the water as rescue crews raced to reach them Saturday evening, according to officials.

The deceased was an adult operating the boat, but fire and law enforcement officials said they could not provide further details.
Rescue workers recovered the body almost five hours after the incident was first reported, according to Capt. Kevin Fox, a spokesman for the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services.

The eight who were rescued from the water were taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital, Fox said. Officials could not provide further details about the extent of their injuries.

Neighbors called 911 at about 6:30 p.m. after hearing people calling for help.

Numerous emergency medical crews, fire personnel and deputies responded to the scene, which was located in a remote area that included much foliage and hilly terrain.

Three of the eight rescued were stranded on the spillway, clinging to rocks as a Maryland State Police helicopter hoisted them up to the aircraft one by one, according to Fox.

Others were pulled out of the water by first responders and neighbors, said Lt. Jason Null, of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.

Candy Thomson, a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Police, the agency handling the investigation, said several people fell off the pontoon boat before it went over the dam, and a few were clinging to trees in the aftermath of the incident.

The nine aboard the boat ranged in age from teenagers to adults, according to Null.

Details of why the nine people were boating after considerable rainfall Saturday were not available Saturday night, Null said. However, he noted the individuals were not boating with any company or group at the time, stating it was most likely a personal trip.

Even as rescuers ventured out late Saturday to recover the body, Thomson said the water and weather conditions were “less than ideal,” and that the white water and pitch dark made it dangerous for them.

A group of people sat huddled on the curb near the area where rescuers went to recover the body, some crying and talking on the phone. A man standing nearby declined to talk to The Frederick News-Post.

“This is very sad. ... I feel for the families,” Thomson said.

Natural Resources Police will continue to investigate the incident, Thomson said, speaking with the eight rescuers and any witnesses in hopes of “piecing together what happened” on the boat in those final moments.


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Sam Yu/Frederick News Post

 

One person died and eight others were rescued after a boat went over a dam in Maryland, authorities said. 

Local residents reported the situation at Lake Linganore Dam at about 6:30 p.m. after hearing people calling for help, Frederick County Fire and Rescue Captain Kevin Fox told ABC News. 

"Some of the neighbors in the area heard people calling out for help and they noticed the people clinging to the rocks and also on the dam's ledge, calling for help," Fox said. 

Workers were still attempting to recover the body of the person who died, Fox said. 

The accident occurred amid heavy flooding concerns in the region. Flood warnings remain in place for sections of Frederick County. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation into the accident.