CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Sissonville father and son are lucky to be alive after a late-night fishing trip on the Kanawha River nearly ended in tragedy.
Capt. Butch Harrison, a paramedic with the Charleston Fire Department, said he and firefighter-medic Shawn Smith were walking along Kanawha Boulevard as part of their rounds during the rock concert at Haddad Riverfront Park about 10 p.m. Thursday for the Harley Owners Group Rally when they were notified by another firefighter that a boat had been struck by a passing barge.
The barge was one of three being pushed by a towboat, which was not immediately identified. It guided the barges to the south side of the Kanawha River while firefighters and paramedics searched for people involved in the crash.
Smith was the first to get to shore and saw two swimmers headed to the bank. They emerged from the water safely with no apparent injuries. Their identities were not available.
Their boat, a small fishing boat with an outboard motor, was listing near the barges while the towboat's crew ran along the barges with flashlights searching for swimmers.
The two told paramedics they had just cut the motor and started fishing when they saw the barge. The small boat was pushed about 200 yards by the mammoth vessel, firefighters said.
"They said they saw the barge coming, but didn't hear any horns or anything," Harrison said. "They tried to get the motor started, but I guess it was too late because they jumped into the water and started swimming."
The father told paramedics he was under the barge at one point but was able to swim away. The men said it sounded like the towboat cut its engines as soon as the barge struck their boat.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Sissonville father and son are lucky to be alive after a late-night fishing trip on the Kanawha River nearly ended in tragedy.
Capt. Butch Harrison, a paramedic with the Charleston Fire Department, said he and firefighter-medic Shawn Smith were walking along Kanawha Boulevard as part of their rounds during the rock concert at Haddad Riverfront Park about 10 p.m. Thursday for the Harley Owners Group Rally when they were notified by another firefighter that a boat had been struck by a passing barge.
The barge was one of three being pushed by a towboat, which was not immediately identified. It guided the barges to the south side of the Kanawha River while firefighters and paramedics searched for people involved in the crash.
Smith was the first to get to shore and saw two swimmers headed to the bank. They emerged from the water safely with no apparent injuries. Their identities were not available.
Their boat, a small fishing boat with an outboard motor, was listing near the barges while the towboat's crew ran along the barges with flashlights searching for swimmers.
The two told paramedics they had just cut the motor and started fishing when they saw the barge. The small boat was pushed about 200 yards by the mammoth vessel, firefighters said.
"They said they saw the barge coming, but didn't hear any horns or anything," Harrison said. "They tried to get the motor started, but I guess it was too late because they jumped into the water and started swimming."
The father told paramedics he was under the barge at one point but was able to swim away. The men said it sounded like the towboat cut its engines as soon as the barge struck their boat.
Smith, who was standing on shore near the Court Street overlook, said the pair swam toward him and he helped them to shore.
"They seemed pretty shaken up," Smith said. "They were pretty surprised when they looked up and saw that barge coming straight at them."
Charleston paramedics checked the two for injuries, but they declined any further treatment.
Their boat was towed to the levy by another boater. It did not appear to be heavily damaged.
A Coast Guard official contacted by phone said the towboat reportedly did not see the smaller boat. She said a team from the Marine Safety Unit in Huntington was on its way to investigate late Thursday.
A state Division of Natural Resources investigator already was on the scene.
Contact writer Ashley B. Craig at ashley.cr...@dailymail.com or 304-348-4850.
