An Amesville-area woman drowned after her husband’s truck stalled in high water Friday night.
Barbara Cantrell was swept away by the current after the truck stalled. Her body was found half of a mile away from the vehicle Saturday morning.
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a call from William Cantrell at 11:52 p.m. Friday. He told them his car had stalled in high water near Linscott Run Road in Amesville — about 20 minutes northeast of Athens — and that his wife had been carried away in the current, according to a news release.
The two had stopped near the high water but couldn’t start the truck when they tried to back up. After water began entering the cabin, they tried to walk to safety, but Barbara Cantrell, 74, who had been using a walker after a recent hip surgery, slipped and fell into the current. William Cantrell was unable to find her, according to the release.
Rescuers, including the Athens County Dive Team, searched the area until 4 a.m. but were forced to stop until sunrise Saturday.
Soon after resuming the search, at about 6:45 a.m., the Amesville Fire Department found Barbara Cantrell’s body.
Ben Ashcraft, from the Athens County Coroner’s Office, pronounced Barbara Cantrell dead Saturday morning, declaring drowning as her cause of death, according to the release.
Barbara Cantrell’s family declined to comment.
Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly could not be reached for comment.
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