Body of Missing BSF Canoeist Recovered

McCreary County, KY (2011-04-28) After the longest search in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area history, National Park Service personnel were able to tell the family of missing canoeist Tim Godfrey that search personnel had located their family member. The 13 day search finally came to a conclusion on Tuesday afternoon with the discovery of Godfrey’s body several miles downstream from the point of his accident. National Park rangers were on boat patrol and located the victim about one mile north of the Big Creek boat ramp. The body was recovered and taken to Frankfort, Kentucky, for autopsy.

On Wednesday, April 13, 2011 Godfrey, along with Joshua Breeding and Chad Harbough, was fishing the Big South Fork River when their canoe capsized in some rapids. Breeding and Harbough were able to make it to shore, but Godfrey was pulled under and believed drowned. This began an intensive search for Godfrey by personnel from the National Park Service, U. S. Forest Service, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and many local volunteers. Working every day with a wide variety of rescue squad members, agency employees, volunteers and friends and family, the search continued. Resources were brought in from as far away as Knoxville, Tennessee, and

Bell County, Kentucky. Searches were conducted utilizing ground search teams, dog teams, boats, sonar, underwater cameras and divers. The river was searched extensively between the point of the accident and the Turkey Creek boat ramp. At times heavy flood waters hampered the search, but did not deter the efforts of the many people looking for Godfrey.

The search to find Godfrey was a collaborate effort of many agencies. The National Park Service expressed appreciation to and commended the many rescue squad members and volunteers who helped with the search. Rescue squads from McCreary, Wayne, Pulaski, and Bell Counties in Kentucky and Knox and Scott Counties in Tennessee all contributed to the search effort, along with personnel from the Whitley City and Pine Knot volunteer fire departments. Canine search teams from as far away as Eubank, Kentucky, and Sevierville, Tennessee, assisted in search efforts. The dive team from the Knox County, Tennessee, sheriff’s office worked under difficult conditions to help in the search efforts. McCreary County businessman Gary Waters also volunteered his time and his boat in the search. The park worked closely with McCreary County emergency management coordinator Rudy Young and Region 10 manager of the Kentucky Emergency Management Agency, Don Franklin, to bring in all of the resources.

As the exhaustive search concluded with the discovery of Godfrey’s body, employees of the Big South Fork NRRA and all involved in the search and recovery extended their sympathy to his family in their time of loss.