Missing man found week after disappearing off boat

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·1 min read

Jul. 19—The body of the man who drowned on Laurel Lake was discovered near the spot where he was last seen, exactly one week later.

The Laurel County Sheriff's Office is heading the death investigation of Jason McVey, 51, of Mt. Sterling, KY.

The London-Laurel County Rescue Squad — along with numerous other agencies — responded to the disappearance of the man on July 7 just after 5:15 p.m. Rescue Squad Chief John Allen said the operations to locate the man included using sonar equipment, divers and crews even dragging the bottom of the lake.

Allen reported on Friday, July 14, that the body had been located off Craigs Creek in a cove near Sulpher Springs Branch around 1:30 p.m.

"He was in about 104 feet of water, on the bottom of the lake," Allen said.

The week-long effort to locate McVey's body involved Laurel County Public Safety Emergency Management Officer Justin Noe, Kentucky State Fish & Wildlife, London Police Department, Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County, Campbellsville Fire and Rescue, Woodbine Rescue, Bald Rock Fire Department, KY K9 Search and Rescue, Keavy Volunteer Fire Department, Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowing, Christian Aid Ministeries, and rescue and search teams from Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana.

No foul play is suspected in this incident.

Funeral services for McVey are scheduled for this Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Sterling. According to his obituary, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the London-Laurel County Rescue Squad, 913 Fire Rescue Drive, London, KY 40744.