BULL RUN, W.Va. — First responders are searching for a 23-year-old Petersburg, Ohio, man last seen in the Cheat River near Bull Run early Sunday morning.
The Preston County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a reported drowning at approximately 4:21 a.m. Sunday.
Once on scene, deputies found Shane Nelson Forame, 23, of Petersburg, Ohio, stranded in the water. Another male, Michael A. Lewis, 23, of Petersburg, Ohio, had been swept away by the swift Cheat River current.
The Deputy was able to reach Forame with a series of ropes tied together with assistance of Aaron Williams, also of Petersburg, Ohio, and drag him to the shore.
Lewis could not be located and an ongoing search with multiple agencies is being conducted to locate him.
Volunteer Fire Departments from Masontown, Reedsville and Newburg, along with Kamp Ambulance, West Virginia State Police, Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, Preston County Dive Team and Grafton Volunteer K-9 unit are assisting in the search.