WAYNE CO., Ill. - A White County man lost his life yesterday in what appears to have been a drowning at a popular location in the Pond Creek area, Briar Patch Lake in Wayne County.
Reports indicate that Kelly R. Wang, 59, of Carmi, was hanging out at Briar Patch with another man, Richard Collins of Grayville; both of them were out in a small boat belonging to Collins.
Collins is reported to have gone back to his camper, apparently leaving Wang in the small boat, but when Collins returned to the lake, he apparently found the boat but no Wang, this reportedly at around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, Thursday, May 31.
Local first responders were notified and began a search, including Fairfield Rural Fire Department. The search continued until Wang's body was recovered at about 9:30 p.m. last night.
Briar Patch has been a popular spot for locals for a number of decades now; it's located a few miles due west of the Barnhill area of south Wayne County in the deep south Pond Creek area.