TERRE HAUTE —
The body of John A. Kemper Jr., 46, of Marshall, Ill., was recovered from the Wabash River early Monday after he dove in Sunday evening and did not resurface.
The incident occurred about seven miles south of Interstate 70 in an area nicknamed “bull skin,” across from Prairieton on the west side of the Wabash River, said Vigo County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Clark Cottom.
Kemper had been working with three other men on repairing a cabin on property owned by his father. After finishing their work, the men went to the river around 9 p.m. to cool off.
“He misjudged the depth of the river,” Cottom said.
His friends, after seeing that Kemper did not resurface, searched but could not find him in the murky river. Cellular telephone reception was poor, so the men had to go to a landline to call for help, Cottom said.
Calls initially were made to the Clark County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department as access to the cabin is on the Illinois side, but then goes into Indiana.
Cottom said Kemper dove into water that was about waist high. His body was recovered about 25 feet down river of where he dove in. The water at that spot was about chest high, Cottom said.
Vigo County Coroner and pathologist Dr. Roland Kohr stated Monday evening that Kemper drowned after breaking his neck from the dive. The broken neck would have left Kemper unconscious or unable to respond, he said. Toxicology tests are pending.
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