Body In Submerged Vehicle Believed to Be Missing Madison Man

Yesterday morning crews recovered a body believed to be that of Fred Warner, 78, missing since just before Christmas. The body was found Saturday afternoon in a partially submerged vehicle in Silver Creek off Duck Branch Road:

“The vehicle it appears may have driven into the creek and floated downstream and got stuck,” said Kentucky Sstate Police Trooper Robert Purdy. “There’s no way to possibly, physically to even drive to where this vehicle was located.”

Although the vehicle was located Saturday afternoon, due to the rugged terrain, high water and nightfall Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison made a decision to wait until morning to recover the body.

“We just could not have done it, we couldn’t have gotten lights down there and we would have put people in harms way,” Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison said. “That’s how I felt, it was my decision.”

Kentucky State Police and Madison County Sheriff deputies secured the scene through the night. The body was recovered about 9 a.m. Sunday.

The body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for a positive identification.