A woman has died and three people remain unaccounted for after a private boat collided with a towboat Sunday night on the Monongahela River near Rices Landing in Greene County, Pennsylvania.
The collision happened at about 9 p.m., roughly one mile south of Min Love Park. The private vessel, described as a 24-foot boat, capsized after the crash, sending its passengers into the river.
Five people were aboard the smaller boat. Two were rescued from the water by members of the towboat crew and taken by medical helicopter to hospitals. One of those rescued, a woman who was flown to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, later died. Her identity has not been released.
The other rescued passenger, a man, was hospitalized after being pulled from the river. He was initially reported to be in critical condition.
Three passengers — two men and one woman — remain unaccounted for.
Search Effort Moves Into Recovery
Emergency crews began searching the river Sunday night and continued through Monday with boats, divers, helicopters and sonar equipment.
The response involved agencies from Greene and Fayette counties, the U.S. Coast Guard, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Maryland State Police. Search teams also used side-scan sonar to examine areas around the collision site.
Despite extensive searches, crews had not located the three missing passengers by Monday afternoon. Greene County Emergency Services Director Richard Policz said the operation was shifting into recovery mode, although crews continued to hold out hope of finding the missing people.
The search area includes a largely rural section of the river with heavy vegetation along the banks, making the operation particularly difficult.
Private Boat Recovered From River
The damaged private boat was pulled from the Monongahela River by crane Monday morning. Investigators are examining the vessel as authorities work to determine what led to the collision.
The towboat involved in the crash had been pushing or pulling empty barges when the incident occurred. According to officials, the towboat stopped after the collision, allowing two crew members to board a life vessel and reach the people who had fallen into the water.
Officials have not yet released a cause for the crash or determined how fast either vessel was traveling when the collision occurred.
Authorities are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the private vessel before the crash. A search warrant was filed for the vehicle and boat trailer connected to the vessel’s reported launch location at Greene Cove.
Dark Conditions Complicated Rescue
The collision occurred after sunset, when visibility on the river was limited. Rescue crews said the darkness made it more difficult to locate people in the water and conduct an immediate search.
Crews have searched both the river and nearby shoreline areas while aircraft have been used to survey the area from above.
The Monongahela is also an active commercial waterway, with towboats and barges regularly traveling the river. Investigators have not said whether lighting, visibility or any other factor contributed to Sunday’s collision.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue efforts to locate the three people who are still missing.
