Halifax man found dead in river near Brookneal

Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: June 29, 2008

A Halifax County man was found dead early Sunday morning in the Staunton River four miles north of Brookneal.

Authorities identified Jerry Conner Jr., 32, of Scottsburg, less than 24 hours after he fell out of his canoe during a boating festival that began in Long Island. He did not resurface and other boaters were looking for him, said Sgt. Chris Thomas, a conservation police officer with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Thomas said.

A search involving several rescue squads and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office ensued but was disturbed by two severe thunderstorms. It was called off at 8 p.m., said Thomas.

At 8:05 a.m. Sunday, Conner’s body was spotted very close to where he was last seen.

“He was found probably within feet of where disappeared at,” Thomas said.

The water was 13 feet deep and no one knew why Conner fell in, Thomas said.

An autopsy report is pending and the department is further investigating the incident.