Roanoke reveals body

Published 9:01 am Tuesday, April 20, 2010

WILLIAMSTON – The search for a missing Williamston man is finally over.

Sunday afternoon the body of Quentin Andrews was pulled from the Roanoke River ending a weeklong search. Andrews went missing on Saturday, April 10 when a boat he and three other men were on sank in the river.

The Bertie County Sheriff’s Office spearheaded the weeklong search for Andrews with the help of several other agencies.

Officers with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission discovered Andrews’ body approximately one mile downstream from where he went into the water.

“We’re sad that the family has lost their loved one,” Bertie County Sheriff John Holley said. “At the same time, we’re glad we were able to find him and bring some closure to the family so they can begin the healing process.”

The search has been on-going since the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the missing man at approximately 10 p.m. on April 10. According to the sheriff, Andrews and three other men left the Williamston dock that day for a fishing trip.

After a few hours of fishing, they decided to try to return to the dock because of darkness. The steering of the boat reportedly failed and they decided to back the boat to the dock which was about one-half mile away.

Sheriff Holley said the men said the boat began taking on water quickly and sank into the Roanoke River. Three of the men swam to safety, but Andrews did not make it to the shore.

Sheriff Holley organized a search that included the United States Coast Guard, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Harbor Patrol and the NC Wildlife Commission.

The search went on for more than a week with no results. Sheriff Holley said the NC Wildlife officers agreed to search the river over the weekend and discovered the body on Sunday afternoon.

“We want to thank everyone who offered assistance with this search,” Sheriff Holley said. “We couldn’t have done it without their assistance.”