Local emergency medical service officials have recovered the body of a Dobson man who went under the water near the juncture of the Ararat and Yadkin rivers on Sunday and never resurfaced.
Surry County Sheriff’s Office Major Scott Hudson said the body of 44-year-old Benny Ernest Bowers Jr. was discovered at 11:13 a.m. Monday, nearly 24 hours after he was overcome by the waters while saving his children, who were in distress on the river. Bowers was able to get his children to safety before succumbing to the river, Hudson said.
Local authorities were first alerted to the unfolding situation on the river Sunday, when Surry County EMS and Pilot Mountain Rescue Squad received a call at 12:47 p.m. asking for help.
“When first responders arrived on the scene, they were informed that an adult male, age 44, was attempting to help some family members struggling in the river. The adult male was able to help the family members struggling, but he never re-surfaced,” Hudson said in a statement the sheriff’s office released on Sunday.
He said the search was suspended as dark fell, out of concern for the safety of the searchers.
Initially on Sunday, the sheriff’s office requested assistance from a number of agencies, including Dobson Rescue Squad, Mount Airy Rescue Squad, Elkin Rescue Squad, Shoals Volunteer Fire Department, Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department, Arlington Volunteer Fire Department, Fall Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Yadkin County Emergency Services, Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office, Stokes County Emergency Services, North Carolina Wildlife, and the North Carolina Parks Service.
Monday morning, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, Surry County Emergency Services, Surry County Communications, Surry County Emergency Management, Pilot Mountain Rescue Squad, and Dobson Rescue Squad returned to the scene to continue the search, discovering the body at 11:13 a.m.
The major declined to release additional details of what happened Sunday or how many people were on the scene at the time of the incident.
“This event is tragic for all involved especially for the family. Please keep the family and friends in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days,” he said.
Hudson said both Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt and Emergency Services Chief Eric Southern were grateful to the agencies which turned out to help, as well as “numerous family and friends of Mr. Bowers.”
Among those agencies were Surry County Communications 911, Surry County Emergency Management, Pilot Rescue Squad, Dobson Rescue Squad, Mount Airy Rescue Squad, Elkin Rescue Squad, Shoals Volunteer Fire Department, Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department, Arlington Volunteer Fire Department, Fall Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Yadkin County Emergency Services, Yadkin County Rescue Squad, Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office, Stokes County Emergency Services, Lewisville Fire Department, North Carolina Emergency Management, North Carolina Wildlife, North Carolina Parks Service, and Guilford County Association of Scuba Personnel.
“A special thanks to Riverside Pizza and Grill,” he added.
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