
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 9, 1990                   TAG: 9006090250
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE                                LENGTH: Short

MAN DROWNS TRYING TO SWIM RESERVOIR

A state police diving team was searching Friday for a man believed to have drowned while attempting to swim across the Martinsville reservoir.

Authorities declined to identify the man, thought to be a Martinsville resident in his mid- to late 30s.

The man was at the reservoir with two friends about 12:30 p.m. Thursday when he decided to try to swim across a 600-yard part of the lake, police said.

Witnesses told police that the man made it only about 40 yards before he began to struggle and went under. Alcohol is believed to have been involved, authorities said.

Authorities spent Thursday afternoon and most of Friday at the reservoir, about two miles north of Martinsville on Virginia 108, searching for the man.

Police said the reservoir is as deep as 70 feet in some places.

by CNB