A 29-year-old man remains missing in the Green River two days after the boat he was riding in capsized near the Spottsville dam, prompting a multi-agency search involving sonar, drones and a K9 unit, while the boat's 19-year-old operator faces a boating under the influence charge. Hasani Carter was one of four men aboard the watercraft when it flipped around 9:45 p.m. on October 7, roughly half a mile upstream from the dam. The other three occupants swam safely to shore.
The boat unexpectedly began taking on water before it capsized, according to The Hendersonian. The outlet reports that the vessel's operator, 19-year-old Samuel Keene, was arrested the same night and charged with boating under the influence after blowing a 0.064 blood alcohol content. The Hendersonian reported that the sheriff's-office citation said Keene's legal limit was 0.002 because he was under 21 and that he was charged on that basis. Keene initially denied drinking before failing field sobriety tests and later admitting he had consumed hard seltzer, the outlet notes.
The Hendersonian reported that the Henderson County Sheriff's Office searched alongside the Henderson City/County Rescue Squad and Henderson Fire Department. According to 14 News, crews resumed the search around 8 a.m. Thursday, as hopes remained for locating Carter.
Multi-Agency Effort Scours the Green River
The search used sonar, and personnel from the Henderson Fire Department joined the effort.
Carter's family has stepped forward with their own push to bring him home. A $4,000 reward is being offered for information leading to locating him alive.
A Dam, a Bridge, and Dangerous Currents
The Search Area The stretch of water where the boat capsized is near the Green River Lock and Dam boat ramp and Spottsville Bridge.
How Kentucky Treats Boating Under the Influence
Boating under the influence in Kentucky is prosecuted differently than a vehicle DUI. Under Kentucky Revised Statutes §235.990, a first offense carries fines of $200 to $250 or 24 hours in jail, and conviction does not result in the loss of driving privileges, according to the Farra Law Firm. KRS 235.240(3) applies implied consent rules, meaning boat operators on state waters can be required to submit to sobriety testing.
