Officials have released the identity of a kayaker who went missing along the banks of the Middle Fork River in West Virginia last Sunday. Officials with the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety say Jamie L. Gray, 41, of Hacker Valley is presumed drowned after going missing on Feb. 9. The agency is closing access to the Middle Fork River between Audra State Park in Barbour County and Tygart Valley River to bring in equipment to assist with the recovery of Gray. Officials say Gray was kayaking with a group of nine fellow paddlers in river last week. Her kayak capsized and she was swept downstream. She then capsized again and swept under a large rock, where she never resurfaced.
Tag: River
Lock Agreement to Make Mon River More Accessible
Recreational boaters can travel the Upper Monongahela River without hindrance for the first time in several years.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agreed to reopen the Opekiska and Hildebrand locks for recreational use. The locks will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends for a total of 18 days during the summer.
The corps also has opened the Morgantown Lock on weekends.
The Dominion Post reports that the agreement between the corps, the Upper Monongahela River Association and the Monongalia County Commission will make the river more accessible.
The corps closed the Opekiska and Hildebrand locks to recreational use in 2012 because of budget cuts. The Morgantown Lock previously was closed on weekends.