A water search is underway for a missing man after his boat was found in the middle of a pond with the motor running. The boat was found around 11 a.m. Saturday in a pond behind Sandhills Community College.
Emergency crews arrived to find a jon boat that had the engine running, but no one on board. There was reportedly a fishing pole with a fish still on the hook and a hat nearby. The man’s truck was found parked by the pond. The man is in his 70s.
Crews continued to search the water and the shoreline of the pond which is in a heavily wooded area behind the horticultural gardens. It is one of two ponds behind the college. Dense brush and trees around the lake made the search difficult.
Divers were also brought in to help with the search, and Lee County responded to the scene with its water rescue teams.
After 6 p.m., the search was suspended for the evening, and the rescue teams will resume Sunday morning.
This is a developing story.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Publisher B.J. Goodridge.
