Body of second missing boater found; victims identified

Published 1:41 pm Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Search teams on Wednesday found the body of a second boater missing for more than a day on Eagle Lake.

Warren County coroner Doug Huskey identified the two people as James Reno, Jr., 57, and Debra Reno, 61.

James Reno’s body was found Tuesday afternoon, and Debra Reno’s on Wednesday morning. The couple lived in Raymond but had a vacation home at Eagle Lake.

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Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said the couple reportedly went out on the lake on a pontoon boat Monday afternoon and had not returned. They were reported missing Tuesday morning.

Pace said the pontoon boat was located on the Australia Island side of Eagle Lake with no apparent damage. James Reno’s body was located several hundred yards from the boat on Tuesday afternoon, in an area between Maxwell’s Landing and Buck Chute.

Debra Reno’s body was found a short distance from there just after 10 a.m. Wednesday, Pace said.

Pace said earlier Wednesday that it appeared that while the boat was found against the shoreline of Australia Island, there was no evidence that anyone ever got off the boat and onto the island.

“At this time, there is no indication that there was any foul play,” Pace said. “The boat appears to have drifted to the bank. It was not tied or moored to the bank. Why they had gotten into the water or why they were in the water is not clear at this time, but no foul play is suspected.”