In a coordinated effort, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) and local rescue teams successfully located a missing individual near the Rockcastle River after a multi-hour search. The individual, an overdo canoeist, was found safe and unharmed on the morning of August 26.
The incident began on Sunday evening when the London-Laurel County 911 Center alerted rescue units that a canoeist was missing on the Rockcastle River. According to the London-Laurel Rescue Squad, emergency responders used a life 360 ping to locate the individual. However, initial efforts were unsuccessful, leading crews to search through the surrounding woods. For safety reasons, the search was called off at 1:10 a.m.
The search resumed early Monday morning at 9:00 a.m., with the KSP assisting by deploying a helicopter to scan the river from above. New coordinates were sent to ground units, who navigated off-road vehicles to reach the closest access road. Upon arrival at the new location, they found drag marks on the ground, indicating where the missing person had been dragging a canoe. This led responders further into the Bee Rock Campground area.
Eventually, rescue units found the individual safe in the campground’s parking lot, bringing the search to a successful conclusion.
Laurel County DPS/Emergency Management and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources were also on the scene, providing additional support during the search.
