Body of missing teen recovered from Cumberland River Thursday morning

The body of a McCreary County teen, who drown in the Cumberland River near Cumberland Falls early Tuesday morning, was recovered about 10:05 a.m. Thursday by area rescue workers.
Fifteen-year-old Jubal Garland, of Sandhill Road, was fishing from a large rock near the sandy beach area below the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park scenic overlooks when he slipped from the rock, says Whitley County Emergency Services Director Steve Schwartz.
“It’s my understanding that he couldn’t swim except to dog paddle,” Schwartz said. “His brother tried to go in and get him and he got a hold of him but lost him.”
Garland was fishing with his brother, Caleb Garland, 17, and his father. Schwartz said Garland’s brother tried to toss him back onto the bank, but was unable to.
“It was dark and it was raining and it was foggy and the water was extremely cold,” Schwartz said. “The current is strong. He probably got disoriented. I’m not so sure he knew which bank it was he was trying to throw him on.”
Authorities were first notified of the incident when it was called in to the Whitley County Dispatch Center at 1:01 a.m. Tuesday. Crews from McCreary County Search and Rescue, the Williamsburg-Whitley County Rescue Squad, Laurel County Rescue and Recovery and the Whitley County Sheriff’s Dept. among others all participated in the search.
Air Evac Lifeteam, based in Middlesboro, donated a helicopter to the effort. Tuesday afternoon. They spotted what appeared to be some type of red fabric on a rock about three-fourths of a mile down river from the falls.
“He was supposed to be wearing a red flannel shirt,” Schwartz said. “They told me it was high up on a rock. If he got down that far, and crawled up that rock, you’d think he’d be down there hollering at somebody or walking the trails or something.”