A relaxed Sunday outing on Rock Creek turned into a grim search operation after a man jumped from a pontoon boat to grab a hat and never came back up, according to authorities. Crews scoured the water into Sunday night before Maryland Natural Resources Police shifted the effort from rescue to recovery. Multi-agency teams were set to restart the search Monday morning.
According to WBAL-TV, officers with the Natural Resources Police were called around 4:15 p.m. Sunday after the man went overboard from a pontoon in Rock Creek near Pasadena to retrieve the hat and did not resurface. The agency told WBAL-TV the man was not wearing a life jacket. The station also reported that the initial response included Natural Resources Police officers, Anne Arundel County Fire and Rescue, Baltimore County fire crews, the Maryland State Police Trooper 6 helicopter, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Search Focused Between Riviera Beach And Fort Smallwood
Search crews centered their efforts on the stretch of Rock Creek between Riviera Beach and Fort Smallwood and worked in grids, using sonar, drones, divers and aviation units to comb the water, according to CBS Baltimore. Neighbor Jeffrey Brewus told the outlet he had never seen so many response boats packed into that section of the creek, adding, "This is actually the most I have seen at one time. They must be pretty sure that someone is underwater."
Officials Repeat Water-Safety Warnings
Sgt. Ron Collier of the Natural Resources Police told CBS Baltimore that anyone heading into the water should know the water, know the water temperature, the water depth, the currents, and wear a life jacket if they are going to jump in. The warning comes as the agency has ramped up summer patrols, including enhanced enforcement under the Operation Dry Water campaign earlier this month, to crack down on unsafe and impaired boating, according to a Maryland DNR news release.
Officials have not released the missing boater's name or any other identifying details. As recovery efforts pick back up Monday, authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Natural Resources Police, WBAL-TV reported.
