Elderly Pennsylvania Man Falls from Boat, Drowns in Bohemia River

Chesapeake City, Md. (July 11, 2012) - At around 2 p.m. on July 10, Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers were sent out to a possible drowning at the Two Rivers Yacht Basin located on the Bohemia River in Chesapeake City.

It was reported that the victim, James Brior, 80, and his wife of Downingtown Pennsylvania were cleaning their boat when Mr. Brior fell overboard. Mrs. Brior heard her husband, who had been on the bow of the boat, yell for help. She threw a life jacket and a line to him; however Mr. Brior was unable to reach either one before slipping under the surface of the water.

Approximately 10 minutes later Mr. Brior was pulled from the water by two employees of the yacht basin and a good samaritan. Mr. Brior was transported to Union Hospital in Elkton and was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m. It was reported that Mr. Brior normally wore a life jacket when he was cleaning the boat but was not wearing one at the time. According to his family he was strong swimmer and in good health. An autopsy will be performed today, July 11 to determine the cause of death.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 247 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation, maritime and law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov