Published: July 12, 2009 12:24 am      

LOCKPORT: Canal closed during search

Witness says man walked into water near Exchange Street and refused help, but search comes up empty.

By Bill Wolcott

bill.wolcott@lockportjournal.com

Lockport police, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department and state police searched in vain nine hours for a possible drowning victim in the Erie Barge Canal from Exchange Street to the Matt Murphy Way Bridge.

According to a fisherman, a man about 50 to 60 years old went into the water near the Exchange Street Bridge around 8 a.m. and then declined a help line thrown his way.

The North Adams Street bridge was closed to automobile traffic and the canal was shut down between the Gasport lift bridge and Lock 34 in Lockport because there were divers in the water.

“We can’t have any boat traffic when there are divers around,” said Canal Superintendent Mike Andrews, who was overlooking the search from the Adams Street Bridge. “I don’t think there’s an awful lot of traffic waiting right now, fortunately.”

The water is about 12-feet deep at the Adams Street Bridge and there was a relatively strong current east.

“There’s a guy on each side and a rope across,” Andrews explained about 3:30 p.m. “Three divers are spread out walking along the bottom holding on to the rope so that they are all in line with each other and knowing were they’re going...They said they were only going this far, but they kept going. I don’t think they’re going to have any luck today.”

The police gave up the search about 5 p.m. near the bridge at Matt Murphy Way.

According to the police report, Lockport Police got a 911 call from the Erie Canal Bridge operator that a male entered the canal and may be drowning. The man was unresponsive and disregarded people yelling at him not to swim in the canal. The man refused to grab a life ring that was thrown towards him.

He began to float on his back and then went under the water. The man was described as possibly Hispanic, bald and wearing a plaid shirt.

The Lockport Police and Fire Departments responded and the Lockport Police boat was put in the water. However, there were no further sightings of the man. The New York State Police Dive Team also assisted in attempting to locate the man.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

at 439-9222, ext. 6246.