Franklin County authorities responded to the Rock Creek Boat Ramp Sunday afternoon after a concerned citizen called 911 to report a possible drowning.
A fisherman noticed an empty wave runner watercraft floating across the lake and feared the worst and called 911.
Rescue and Recovery Divers with the F.C. Rescue Squad then began the long search for the missing owner of the wave runner without success until approximately 2:00 AM early Monday.
After a brief search after sunrise using the R.O.V. submersible, TWRA officials located the body of the 80-year-old boater. It appeared that the deceased male had been enjoying the lake on his wave runner jet ski when the weather changed just prior to the thunderstorms that hit the area Sunday afternoon.
