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MANILA, Daggett County — The search for a Riverton man whose small boat capsized one week ago in Flaming Gorge Reservoir has been temporarily suspended due to inclement weather and a lack of resources.
The effort to find Charles Darrell Thomas, 69, was called off over the weekend because search teams from outside agencies needed to rest and recuperate, Daggett County sheriff's spokeswoman Susie Potter said Monday.
"We've had great help," Potter said, noting that the tiny agency with only four deputies has relied on personnel from the Utah Department of Public Safety, Utah State Parks, the sheriff's search and rescue teams for Summit, Uintah and Wasatch counties and Wyoming's Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office to conduct the search.
"When they are able to assist us again, we plan to resume the search," she said.
Thomas and his girlfriend, 62, were in a small motorized boat Sept. 1 when it capsized in Flaming Gorge between the Antelope Flats area and Lucerne Marina. The woman made it to shore after using a seat cushion as a flotation device. She then walked to a campsite to get help, Potter said.
Wind gusts at the time of the mishap made the water rough and the conditions difficult. The area is expected to see more wind and rain through Tuesday night, which was another factor in temporarily suspending the search, the spokeswoman said.
