A WLBT Report
WARREN COUNTY – The emotional families of 39-year-old James East and 25-year-old Jermaine Walton waited, hoping the friends had been found alive after the boat the men were in apparently overturned Friday evening on Long Lake in Warren County.
That hope was not to be realized.
“Please y’all find my son, Jermaine Walton. I’m gone be upset if I can’t find him,” said Rose Walton, mother of Jermaine Walton.
“He and his friends were going fishing. They had went fishing a couple of days ago and so they were taking out the boat but I had told him not to take that boat out,” added Nancy Powers, sister of James East.
“The boat turned over and James went back to rescue, try to rescue, Jermaine, ” said Gertrude Brown, sister of James East.
Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace says one unidentified fisherman was rescued shortly after the boat overturned. That man and several witnesses gave search crews a location where the boat flipped.
Pace said the boat was meant for two and may have been overloaded when it flipped.
East and Walton were found near one another Saturday.
Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said autopsies revealed the men drowned.
“We’ve done a preliminary oversight of the boat. We don’t see any catastrophic failures of the boat, but that will be inspected more thoroughly at a later date,” added Sheriff Pace.
The 20 foot muddy waters made it difficult for divers to find the men. Pace believes this is a sad reminder of taking precautions on the water.
“These young men had life vests. They had life vests in the boat, but they were not actually wearing them at the time of the accident,” added Sheriff Pace.
East’s family hopes he will be remembered as a kind man, willing to help.
“As a smiling person. Very happy and he loved his children. He loved his family. He was a very loving person,” added Brown.
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