On March 3, 2022, 23-year-old Tyler Morgan of LaCenter, Kentucky, was working as a deckhand for PTL Marine on the Ohio River. He was operating a 26-foot crew boat near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, several miles upstream from the Wickliffe boat ramp. At approximately 3:40 p.m., after dropping a person off on a tow, the crew boat he was on capsized while it was moored. Morgan was the only person on board at the time of the incident.
Witnesses reported the capsizing, and a man overboard was called in by the motor vessel Luke Burton at Mile 981 of the Ohio River.
Immediate search and rescue efforts were launched by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the Ballard County Sheriff's Office, Ballard County Rescue, Carlisle County Rescue, and McCracken County Rescue. The Coast Guard also assisted, temporarily closing the river between Ohio River Mile 981 and Lower Mississippi River Mile 950. The boat was recovered with the help of a crane from a nearby barge. Reports indicated that Morgan was wearing a personal flotation device, but it was not zipped or buckled. The search was made more challenging by the fact that the river was above flood stage at the time.
Despite the extensive search by officials and volunteers which continued for several days, Tyler Morgan was never found. His body was never recovered from the river. PTL Marine, his employer, extended their condolences to his family. The community showed an outpouring of support, holding prayer services and collecting donations for his family. An obituary for Tyler Drake Morgan stated that he passed away on March 3, 2022, due to a work accident. The case is a tragic example of a workplace accident leading to a person going missing and being presumed deceased, with the river's conditions complicating recovery efforts and leaving his family without closure.Last Seen: Mar 3, 2022
