Hancock man drowns at Perry County’s Rainbow Lake
A 21-year-old Hawesville man died Wednesday, June 30, in a drowning incident at Rainbow Lake in the Hoosier National Forest.
Bryan Barnett, Jr., of Hawesville, Ky., was pronounced deceased by the Perry County Coroner’s Office following the recovery of his body by Conservation Officer divers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources around 7:44 a.m., on Thursday, July 1.
According to a release from the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Central Dispatch received multiple 911 calls around 8:07 p.m., reporting a lost swimmer at the lake. Multiple agencies were dispatched to the scene with Perry County Fire-Rescue arriving within approximately seven minutes of the initial call. First responders and investigators quickly determined the missing swimmer was still underwater.
Sheriff Alan Malone was among a number of law enforcement officers responding to the scene, and reported divers were in the water within an hour of the report. Weather conditions and darkness hampered rescue efforts, the sheriff said. “The search, rescue and recovery efforts continued into the night and early this morning,” Malone said. “No foul play is suspected at this time.”
Perry County Coroner Warren Taylor said Thursday an autopsy for Barnett was scheduled for Friday, July 2. Taylor said the incident was concerning to him as it was the third drowning at Rainbow Lake in the past year or so, and the second of the summer recreation season.
The parking area Forest Service information center has two signs warning recreation area users to not jump from the steep cliffs of the former rock quarry. The search and investigation were multi-agency efforts, which included the following emergency response organizations: Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana Conservation Officers, Perry County Fire-Rescue/Emergency Management, Perry County EMS, and Perry County Coroner’s Office.
By C. Josh Givens GM/Editor DERBY