One drowned, another man rescued in boating crash at Harris Lake

Anna Johnson
·1 min read

One man died and another was rescued after a boat crash at Harris Lake.

Around 6 a.m. Friday two men who were boating in the western Wake County lake hit a cement pylon, throwing at least one man into the water, according to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.

Witnesses reported hearing a man call for help and called 911. An hour and a half later a man was rescued on the boat.

Law enforcement continued looking for the second man and, after a five-hour search, recovered a drowning victim at 12:30 p.m.

Multiple public safety agencies responded, including the Sheriff’s Office, Apex Fire Department, Cary Fire Department, Holly Springs Fire Department, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Emergency Services, Durham County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Raleigh/Wake CCBI, Wake County Emergency Management and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

NC Wildlife is investigating the crash.

Harris Lake is part of the Shearon Harris Reservoir and 4,151-acres. It’s primarily used as a cooling source for Duke Energy, but has grown in popularity as a fishing destination. Wake County owns about 680 acres to form the Harris Lake County Park.