Sunday, July 18, 2010
Search On For Lawrence Native Struck By Barge During Fishing Tournament
The search is continuing for a Lawrence County man and a friend, struck by a barge while participating in a fishing tournament Saturday.
Samuel Matthew Luffman of Antioch and Donald Harris of Lyles, have been missing since around 1:00 a.m. Saturday. Officials report they were participating in a fishing tournament on Kentucky Lake when they went missing. Their small fishing boat was reportedly struck by a barge, capsizing the boat and throwing both men into the river.
Search crews reported finding their boat on the Tennessee River yesterday, just north of the Mason Boat Dock in Waverly. A single life jacket was found floating approximately eight miles away.
The search was undertaken by members of the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Department, Humphreys County Fire Department and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. On Saturday the search was concentrated in the area of the Mason Boat Dock and the New Johnsonville area.
Although search parties were forced to conduct limited search efforts throughout the nighttime hours, they were slated to begin again, full force, Sunday morning.
Luffman is the son of Lawrenceburg residents Ray and Debbie Luffman.
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