Trooper James W. McNeely, 37, vanished during a rescue attempt on the Kentucky River in April 1972. Heavy rains had swollen the river in Franklin County; McNeely, a 16-year veteran who had recently been assigned to lead the boating division in Frankfort, went out off-duty to search for two missing canoeists. He and Kentucky State Water Patrol Officer David C. Childs and a civilian friend were caught near Lock and Dam 4 when their motor failed and the small boat was swept over the dam and broke apart.

The civilian was rescued; Childs’ body was later recovered from the Ohio River in Tell City, Indiana, 126 miles away. Trooper McNeely was never found despite an extensive search. He left behind a wife and two daughters; a statue and a dedicated stretch of highway now honor him. The case remains an open missing person matter.

If anyone has information about Trooper McNeely’s disappearance or remembers the events that April, please share what is known.