BOYLE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A recovery effort at Herrington Lake continues for Madison Central senior Emanuel Prewitt.
Boyle County Fire Department Rescue Squad and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife authorities have been searching for the 17-year-old since 8:30 a.m.
Boyle County Emergency Management Director Mike Wilder told LEX 18 Lake Herrington creates a challenging environment for rescues because of its dark waters and 125 ft depth. For this reason, divers are not being sent into the water and sonar equipment is not being used to map out the area, according to Wilder. Rescue teams are using drag equipment to search the bottom of the lake.
Prewitt was swimming with a group of friends Wednesday afternoon. According to authorities, friends recounted seeing Prewitt struggle to keep up and eventually saw him go underwater.
Herrington Lake was a popular swimming spot for many years, according to Wilder. However, he said there are always risks and he recommends people have life jackets any time they’re swimming in a large body of water.
“With Herrington Lake, you really have to be very careful and most people that know about Herrington Lake and come down here know that. It’s just difficult to make everybody understand that the lake is not the best place to swim,” said Wilder.
The recovery effort is ongoing.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
