SILOAM, NC (LOOTPRESS) – A river water rescue turns tragic after a father drowned while rescuing his children.
The Surry County Sheriff’s Office says that on April 28, 2024, at around 12:47 pm, a call came in about a potential rescue located at the Ararat and Yadkin River juncture in the Siloam area. When emergency officials arrived, they were informed that Benny Ernest Bowers Jr., 44, of Dobson, NC, was attempting to help his children struggling in the river. Mr. Bowers was able to rescue his children from the water, but unfortunately, he never re-surfaced.
On April 29, 2024, at around 11:13 am, Mr. Bowers’s body was located near the juncture of the Ararat and Yadkin Rivers.
Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt and Surry County Emergency Service Chief Eric Southern would like to thank all the agencies and volunteers involved in the search. They include Surry County Communications 911, Surry County Emergency Management, Pilot Rescue Squad, Dobson Rescue Squad, Mount Airy Rescue Squad, Elkin Rescue Squad, Shoals Volunteer Fire Department, Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department, Arlington Volunteer Fire Department, Fall Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Yadkin County Emergency Services, Yadkin County Rescue Squad, Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office, Stokes County Emergency Services, Lewisville Fire Department, North Carolina Emergency Management, North Carolina Wildlife, North Carolina Parks Service, Guilford County Association of Scuba Personnel (GASP), and numerous family and friends of Mr. Bowers. A special thanks to Riverside Pizza and Grill.
