Search continues in Barren River for missing teen
Published 1:01 pm Sunday, September 22, 2024
- First responders from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Warren County Emergency Management, Barren County Rescue Squad, Richardsville Volunteer Fire Department and Bowling Green Fire and Police Departments search for a 17-year-old who went missing in Barren River while attempting to swim across the river a short distance upstream from the River Street bridge with two other juveniles on Friday afternoon, Sept. 20, 2024. Katie McKee, spokeswoman for the Bowling Green Fire Department, said that two members of the group noticed the boy struggling to swim across and turned back to help him, but were unsuccessful. The search is ongoing. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
The search for a 17-year-old boy who went missing while swimming with friends in Barren River entered its third day Sunday.
Officials from multiple agencies were searching an area of the river just upstream from the River Street bridge for the juvenile, who was last seen Friday afternoon.
Katie McKee of the Bowling Green Fire Department said early Sunday afternoon that the search was ongoing, but emergency workers were monitoring the weather as a chance of thunderstorms was in the forecast during the early afternoon hours.
Inclement weather may force a suspension of the search, McKee said.
The teenager was part of a group of three friends who set out to swim from one side of the river to the other on Friday, according to McKee.
McKee said that as they were swimming, the 17-year-old’s friends turned around and saw him struggling, and their attempts to help him were unsuccessful.
First responders were called just before 4 p.m. Friday and a search of the river began.
The River Street bridge was closed for about two hours Friday afternoon and the search was suspended around 7 p.m. Friday.
Searching resumed on Saturday morning and continued until its suspension around 7 p.m.
McKee said the search will continue until the boy is found.
In addition to BGFD, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Warren County Emergency Management, Barren County Rescue Squad, Richardsville Volunteer Fire Department and Bowling Green Police Department have also responded.