Sheriff releases update of Mill Creek Lake drowning victim

Sarah White
·2 min read

UPDATE 4:10 P.M. AMHERST COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — The Amherst County Sheriff’s Office says a 23-year-old man drowned in Mill Creek Lake on Wednesday, May 16.

According to the sheriff, deputies and emergency service personnel were dispatched to the 200 block of Mill Creek Road after receiving reports of a drowning. Along with Amherst County personnel, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the Virginia State Police Search and Rescue team performed an underwater search for the victim.

VSP identifies woman killed in crash on US-460 in Appomattox County

Later that night, the body of 23-year-old James Matthew Kesterson from Madison Heights was found and recovered. He was then taken to a funeral home at the request of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Currently, the sheriff’s office does not suspect foul play.

WFXR News will update this story as further information is released

—

UPDATE: 11:38 A.M. on 5/17 AMHERST COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – First Responders searched Thursday night for a person believed to have drowned in Mill Creek Lake earlier that evening.

The WFXR News crew on the scene said several agencies responded to the incident, including Amherst County, Monelison, Nelson County, and Virginia State Police. Many went out in boats to search the water for the missing person.

Details remain limited; however, Jarred Scott with the Amherst County Department of Public Safety told WFXR at the scene, that a call came in around 6:50 p.m. on May 16 for one person who had drowned at the lake.

We’re told the victim was swimming with a group of people and went under the water and never came up.

Scott says the name of the person is not being released at this time.

  • Police lights and first responders on the scene of a possible drowning on Mill Creek Lake on May 16. (Jemon Haskins/ WFXR News)
    Police lights and first responders on the scene of a possible drowning on Mill Creek Lake on May 16. (Jemon Haskins/ WFXR News)
  • Virginia State Police on the scene of a possible drowning on at Mill Creek Lake on May 16. (Jemon Haskins/ WFXR News)
    Virginia State Police on the scene of a possible drowning on at Mill Creek Lake on May 16. (Jemon Haskins/ WFXR News)

This story is continuing to develop. In addition to the crew on scene, we have reached out to officials in Amherst County to learn more. Stay with WFXR News on air and online for the latest.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.