In the early hours of December 10, 2013, a 27-year-old dredge deck hand named Dustin A. Burnham vanished from his workplace near Metropolis, Illinois. Burnham, a resident of Metropolis with eight years of experience working for Hunter Marine's Sand & Gravel division, was on duty aboard Dredge IV on the Ohio River. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a Carhartt jacket. The dredge was operating at mile 954 of the river, near Joppa, Illinois, when the incident occurred. It was a cold night, and there was snow on the deck of the barge where he was working. He had distinctive tattoos, including a cross on his left upper arm and angel wings on his back, as well as a pierced ear.
Around 2:45 a.m., Burnham was tasked with checking the draft reading on a barge, a routine measurement to see how much material had been loaded. He walked out onto the barge, identified as MEM 611, possibly without a life vest. His own life jacket was later found in the break room, lying on a chair next to his cell phone. It is believed he lost his footing on the snowy, icy surface and fell into the frigid river. The pilot of the attached tugboat, Patsy M, saw Burnham in the water and immediately disconnected the tug to attempt a rescue. Tragically, by the time the tug could maneuver, Burnham had drifted approximately 20 yards downstream and disappeared beneath the surface.
Local authorities were notified around 4:00 a.m., prompting an extensive search of the Ohio River from miles 952 to 970, near the Olmsted Locks and Dam. The McCracken County Sheriff's Department in Kentucky, across the river, handled the official report. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Mine Safety and Health Administration launched investigations into the accident. The MSHA report concluded that the accident was due to management's failure to ensure safe working conditions, citing the accumulation of snow and ice which created a slipping hazard. The report also noted a failure to enforce the company's life jacket policy. Despite the search efforts, Dustin Burnham was never located. In the absence of his recovery, his family held a memorial service for him on January 11, 2014, left to grapple with the devastating loss and the lack of closure that has marked this case for years.
Last Seen: Dec 10, 2013
