LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Update, 8/18: Officials with the Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Company confirmed that the body of the missing boater was recovered on Saturday.
The department said that after nearly 20 hours of searching since Thursday night, Brian Pierce, 39, of Quarryville, was located and recovered from the Susquehanna River.
Multiple mutual aid assets helped the fire company throughout the operation.
Previously: Authorities are searching the Susquehanna River for a missing boater, according to Lancaster County 911 Dispatch.
First responders were called out for the search around 10:30 p.m. last night, dispatch said.
Three people got on the boat on Aug. 15, but their boat's engine malfunctioned and shut down shortly after leaving the boat ramp, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The boat drifted down the river for several hundred yards before it hit a rock bed and became disabled.
One of the boaters, Brian Pierce, 39, of Quarryville, attempted to swim to shore to get help while leaving the other two boaters aboard the boat, troopers said. The witnesses described seeing Pierce swim about halfway to the shore before he "experienced difficulty," and the boaters lost sight of him in the dark water.
Pierce has not been seen since.
Pennsylvania State Police say an "extensive search" was conducted, but Pierce was not found before the search was suspended around 4 a.m. on Aug. 16. The search will resume later today.
Pierce was last seen wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt and baseball hat. He is described as 5 feet 10 inches and about 165 pounds.
Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission are leading the search, which is centered around the Muddy Creek boat launch in Drumore Township, Lancaster County.
Dispatch says the coroner was not called to the scene at any point during the search.
There are no road closures related to this incident at this time.
Anyone with information pertinent to this incident or Pierce's whereabouts is asked to call PSP Troop J - Lancaster at 717-299-7650.