Emergency crews had no luck Monday finding 73-year-old Wayne Day, whose fishing boat was struck by a barge on the Kentucky Lake, Benton County Sheriff Cecil Wells said early Monday evening. The search will continue this morning at 6, Wells said.
Day and Jimmy Bratcher of Medina were fishing together in a boat off Camden Landing when the barge struck it about a mile south of the U.S. 70 bridge across the Tennessee River. The two were participating in a catfish tournament sponsored by Birdsong Resort and Marina.
Wells has said Bratcher ''was shaken up'' but not seriously injured. In fact, Bratcher helped Sunday with the search, Wells said Monday.
''We've had a lot of help from a lot of good people,'' Wells added.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol sent a helicopter, and rescue squads from Humboldt and Benton County are participating, Wells said.
He estimated there were 15 boats on the waters Monday. Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork also planned to send help today, Wells said.
''We pretty much got the river covered in that area,'' he said. ''We'll have even more (help today).
''We're hoping (today) will be the day,'' we find him, Wells added. ''We think, maybe, it will be.''
In the meantime, friends of the Day family answered phones at the family's house near Bailey Park.
A group of part-time co-workers at Estes Foods on Central Avenue, where Day was a night manager, have started to raise funds they plan to give to his family, said Emily Atkins, office manager. Day also worked at the Estes Foods store on 22nd Ave, Atkins added.
''He was just a great guy,'' she said of Day, who she's known for about six years. ''You just couldn't ask for a better person.
''There's people from everywhere calling wanting to know if we've heard anything,'' Atkins said. ''Everybody that comes through the doors asks about him. It's been devastating for our young kids.''
The store's school-age employees worked with Day at night, Atkins said.
Alfredo Ramirez, 18, is one of those young employees.
He recalled Day's sense of humor. He'd teasingly tell those he saw walking around: ''You'd better get to work,'' Ramirez said.
He also recalled that Day was a proud man. Younger ''carryouts'' once tried to help him push in a long line of buggies, but Day wouldn't let them help him, Ramirez said.
''He was a great person to work with,'' Ramirez said. ''He was kind to everyone who came in the store. He was kind of like a grandfather to the carryouts and everyone who worked here.
''He was someone we respected and looked up to.''
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