FAIRMONT — On their third day of searching, emergency responders found the body of a Lumberton man who drowned in a lake near Fairmont.
The body of Thomas Edward Blackmon was located at about 7:45 this morning in a lake on Zimp Road, according to Roger Taylor, who is with the Lumberton Rescue and EMS.
Blackmon, 33, was working on a pier with another man late Tuesday afternoon when one of their boats began to float away, according to Maj. Anthony Thompson, chief of detectives for the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. Blackmon swam out into the pond to retrieve the boat and did not return. The 15-acre lake is off of Leggett Road.
“We did our best effort to try to locate him,” Taylor said. “The issue you have with these ponds is all the debris … It’s not clear at the bottom.”
Taylor said Blackmon’s body was located about 30 feet from the pier. The search effort drew 35 to 40 responders who worked Tuesday evening, all day Wednesday and resumed searching early this morning.
“After diving all day the divers were exhausted,” Taylor said.
Taylor said Blackmon’s family stood by during the search.
In addition to Lumberton Rescue, South Robeson Rescue, Red Springs Rescue, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, state and county Emergency Management, and Sterlings and Orrum fire departments responded to the scene. An AirReach helicopter did an aerial search of the lake and its banks, while members of Lumberton Rescue used sonar technology to search the bottom of the lake.
