LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The body of a man swept away by currents this weekend while swimming in the Parklands was recovered Monday afternoon by Louisville emergency crews.
The Fern Creek Fire Department said the man, believed to be in his 20s, was swimming Sunday with two friends in Floyds Fork near Bardstown Road in the Broad Run Park area when all three were swept away by the current. Two of the friends were rescued, but one remains missing. Crews said he was last seen submerged under the water.
After more than five hours of search efforts Sunday evening involving multiple agencies, the man wasn't found. The fire department said the operation transitioned from a rescue mission to a recovery effort based on the circumstances and the duration of the incident.
In an update Monday, Fern Creek Fire Assistant Chief Dewayne Hutchens said the man was recovered at 4 p.m. from the waters.
Hutchens said the conditions of the water could have played a role in the incident. He said the water was three to four times its normal velocity because of the heavy rain and flooding that hit the area over the weekend.
"The water receded, and then the surface of the water looks calm," Hutchens said. "...The problem is ... the water flowing underneath and the current that's moving, someone gets in the water and they think at a certain depth everything is fine. And then as you get deeper the current just sweeps you away."
Hutchens said the debris and branches in the water complicated recovery efforts. The identity of the victim has not been released.
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