NEWS 25 WEHT Evansville, Henderson, OwensboroBoaters Keep Back : Is It Far Enough?

Boaters Keep Back : Is It Far Enough?

story by Courtney Fischer

NEWBURGH, IN - NEWS 25 continuing to follow Monday's fatal boat accident at the Newburgh lock and dam.  Fifty-five year old Douglas Morefield drowned when the boat he was in got caught in the current, pulling it toward the dam. Fifty year old Mark Wilson of Boonville was also in that boat, he is listed in fair condition Tuesday night.

Indiana conservation officers say both men were wearing life jackets, but were underwater at times because of the power of the water flow. The gate was eventually shut down, making a rescue attempt possible.

Conservation officers pulled the fishermen's boat from the dam early Tuesday. The lockmaster tells NEWS 25 he sees people fishing too close to the dam too often. We ask if those signs warning boaters to stay back 150 feet need to be changed.

A battered boat, shattered glass, the life jacket that had to be cut from one of the fishermen:   that's what is left of Morefield's and Wilson's boat.

"The fact that it's still intact is actually surprising," says conservation officer, Eric Stamps.

It's estimated the men were fishing more than 150 feet from the dam--like the warning says. But it wasn't enough to keep them afloat, to keep one of them alive.

"I consider those signs a minimum of what people should abide by and it depends on the river conditions," Stamps says.

Stamps took NEWS 25 to where the men were when they lost control of the boat.

"You can feel it right now, you can feel the turbulence in the water," he says out on the Ohio River.

The Newburgh Dam Lockmaster, Mike Mooney, sees fishermen take chances here all the time. He says hydrology studies have been conducted proving 150 feet is a safe distance.

"But if it was me and if there was any doubt, I would keep a safe buffer," Mooney cautions.

Mooney made the call to shut the dam gates, stopping river traffic and starting the rescue:

"At that stage, that's about all we can do and that takes a few minutes to do. It's big machinery and it operates slowly.  It doesn't take but a minute and you're beyond help."

This accident comes after Mooney pulled a boater out of danger just last week after his motor cut out.

"They think well, I've done this for years, I know what I'm doing.  All it takes is just one miss-cue and you're in trouble," Mooney says.

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