IFN Staff

The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of a Sherrills Ford man who drowned in Lake Norman over the weekend.

ICSO Lake Patrol deputies recovered the body of Charles William Crowe Jr., 63, on Sunday, Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a news release.

Deputies were dispatched to the area near Main Channel marker 20 about 5:54 p.m. on Saturday for a report of a possible drowning involving two individuals in the water, the sheriff said. The caller reported that they had located a female in the water struggling to stay afloat.

After Lake Patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they were able to pull the female out of the water. The female stated that she and Crowe had been boating when the man went into the lake and started experiencing physical issues, according to the news release.

After the female jumped in to assist him, she started having health issues as well, Campbell said.

The deputies transported the female to the closest dock, near Supreme Court, for further medical evaluation and treatment.

Due to the advancement in ICSO Lake Enforcement patrol boats, the deputies took over rescue operations within two minutes of being dispatched.

The N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission was called to investigate the incident. Law enforcement and fire departments around Lake Norman assisted with this incident.

Due to inclement weather, the search and recovery efforts were suspended after sunset on Saturday.

Recovery operations resumed early on Sunday. As additional information was received, a smaller search area was established, leading to the recovery of Crowe’s body, the sheriff said.