Copiah County Man Dies After Boating During Storm at Ross Barnett Reservoir

Storm coming in at the Ross Barnett Reservoir (Photo Credit: Darkhorse Press)

A man from Copiah County lost his life after going out on the Ross Barnett Reservoir during severe weather Tuesday (April 22) morning.

WLBT says Reservoir Police Chief Carlos Dipuma shared that a witness saw the man put his boat in the water as a storm was moving in.

At around 10 a.m., police got a call about a boat that was unmanned in the Goshen Springs area. Officers found the empty boat near a ramp.

While looking for the missing person, one officer found a man’s body in the water. He was wearing clothes that matched what the witness said. Police think he may have been hit by lightning.

Several groups helped at the scene, including the Rankin County Emergency Operations Center and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks

.

Officials are working with Copiah County authorities to notify the man’s next of kin.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.