Man Rescued From Leesburg Gravel Pit

A recently purchased dive boat of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department helped rescue a man near Leesburg Sunday night. KCSD deputies responded to the Leesburg gravel pit Sunday night at approximately 8:40 p.m. to attempt to locate a despondent male. Deputies converged at the gravel pit which contains a large body of water that is surrounded by secluded trees and foliage. At approximately 10:00 p.m., deputies and sheriff dive team members were able to locate the despondent male subject lying on a concealed water bank unconscious. The 40 year old male was transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital in serious condition by Multi-Township EMS after an apparent overdose. Officers were able to use a portable thermal imager while onboard the newly purchased dive boat to locate the victim in the remote area. It was speculated that the victim might have possibly died if not located last night due to the large amount of ingested medications according to KCH. The KCSD dive boat was recently purchased along with a bottom imaging sonar unit due to the generosity of local citizens’ donations. The project was initiated by a donation from the family of Raymond Leroy Barker, Jr., who had drown last year on August 7th while fishing on Wyland Lake in the Tri-County Game Preserve in Kosciusko County.