Sunken boat may explain death

By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.com
A man trimming trees near the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers on Saturday discovered a sunken boat that could help authorities explain the drowning of an area fisherman from six weeks ago.

Gary Bruce Johnson, 49, formerly of Amesville, and more recently Marietta, was pronounced dead Feb. 29 at an area hospital after he was pulled from the river.

Witnesses reported hearing a man call for help and seeing someone out in the river near the Marietta levee clinging to a gas can and a personal flotation device.

There is plenty of speculation, but so far authorities have been unable to say for sure how Johnson ended up in the river. With the boat, officials are hopeful they will be able to explain the death.

Chuck Taylor, 41, of Belpre, reported finding the boat to police. He said he was working for a tree service company when he looked down and saw something in the water.

“I wasn’t really sure what it was,” Taylor said. “It looked like a big piece of plastic.”

Taylor said when he finished cutting on some trees he walked down to the river to take a closer look.

“Once I got down a little closer I could see what it was,” Taylor said. “I hadn’t heard anything about anyone finding that guy’s boat, but I knew they were looking for it. So I went ahead and called the city police.”

Marietta Police officer Bob Heddleston said it appears the boat was Johnson’s.

“We are pretty sure it is the right boat,” said Heddleston. “It is the right color, but there are no hull numbers on it, so I think they are trying to trace a VIN number to find out for sure.”

The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources is handling the investigation, however, their officers could not be reached for comment Sunday. They have jurisdiction in the case because West Virginia owns the section of the Ohio River in this area.

Heddleston said the boat was discovered around 11 a.m. WVDNR officials, assisted by Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department, worked for several hours to salvage the boat.

“It was flopped upside-down and half-buried in mud,” Heddleston said. “It took a little work getting it out.”

In the days immediately following the drowning, DNR and local volunteer fire departments scoured the river in hopes of finding Johnson’s boat. They had focused in the section of river between the Little Muskingum River and the Williamstown Bridge.

Johnson was thought to have been fishing near the confluence of the Little Muskingum and Ohio rivers.