Body recovered at Eagle Lake; one person still missing

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One body has been recovered in the Eagle Lake rescue undertaken Tuesday. Another person remains unaccounted for.

A couple from Crystal Springs took off on a pontoon boat Monday to celebrate the wife’s birthday. The couple, who were both about 60, owned a lake house on Melanie Lane at Eagle Lake.

The last time they were heard from was around 4:30 p.m. Monday. When a family member attempted to reach them Tuesday morning, they did not respond.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office was contacted shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Warren County Fire Coordinator Jerry Briggs immediately deployed a search and rescue party to begin searching the 7 square miles of the lake. The abandoned boat was found quickly on the shore of Australia Island.

The couple’s abandoned pontoon boat was recovered Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by David Day)

By the end of the day, 15 official boats and dozens of civilian boats were taking part in the search. Official boats included teams from the Eagle Lake Fire Department, the Vicksburg fire department dive team,  the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Warren County Emergency Management Agency. They also included boats from Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency brought in their drone to help search.

(Photo by David Day)

Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey was called to the scene just before 3 p.m. Tuesday after the husband’s body was found.

The Warren County Sheriff’s office will continue to search for the wife throughout the night and if she is not found, the entire team will resume the search Wednesday.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace has requested that private boats stay off the lake overnight.