Missing angler’s body found in Catawba River

Drowning
The NCWRC helped in the recovery of a body found on the Catawba River on July 10, 2019

Person’s name has not been released

Yesterday, July 10, Gaston County EMS, the Charlotte Fire Dept., and the NCWRC recovered a body that they believe to be that of a missing boater in the Catawba River. They were alerted to a boat floating adrift in the river earlier this week. The body was found nearby.

It appears the person was fishing, and authorities are considering it a boating accident. The person’s name has not yet been released. The boat was found near the Armstrong Road bridge.

Local resident Steven Crocker said he had seen the man fishing on various occasions.

“He seemed to be really enjoying the lake and talked about all the fish he caught back here in the cove. It’s just really said when you see people come down here to enjoy the lake and have a good time, and something like this happens,” Crocker said to WCNC.

This is the third drowning from this part of the state in the past few months. In May, four boaters near the Kevin Lofton Boat Landing in Belmont were crossing the river when their boat sank. Three made it safely to shore, but one drowned. Last month, teenager Ethan Britt was swimming in the flooded South Fork River in Gaston County when he drowned.