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The search for a canoeist who fell into the Yadkin River in the Roaring River community when his boat overturned Friday afternoon ended at dark Saturday with the man still missing.
Emergency personnel said large-scale searching for Damien Jamal “D.J.” Mayes, 25, of Parker Lane, Moravian Falls, has been discontinued.
Mayes was in a canoe with Corin Palmer, 26, of Millers Creek when it overturned a short distance downstream from the Yadkin near where the Red, White and Blue Road bridge crosses the river in the Roaring River community about 4 p.m. Friday.
This is about a mile from the Roaring River Canoe Rentals put-in site on the Roaring River, where they started.
Johnny Alexander, owner and operator of Roaring River Canoe Rentals on Cotton Mill Road, Roaring River, said he rented a 15-foot-long Old Town canoe to the two men about 3 p.m. Friday.
Alexander said two life jackets and two paddles came with the canoe. “I made them put on the life jackets before they left,” he said. Alexander was waiting at the Ronda town park to provide them a shuttle ride back to their vehicle when he learned about the boat overturning and the search for Mayes.
Roaring River Fire Chief Dale Pierce said Palmer stated that the canoe overturned at some point while Mayes was removing his life jacket and his shirt.
He said Palmer stated that he hung on to the canoe and was able to get to shore with the boat while Mayes was swept downstream by the current, apparently without a life jacket.
Pierce said emergency personnel were told that Mayes didn’t know how to swim. Palmer said Mayes had no prior experience paddling a canoe. Pierce said only one life jacket was recovered from the Yadkin.
More at link: Large-scale searching for missing canoeist in Yadkin River ended