In June 19-25 issue
By Greg Wells
Times Journal Managing Editor



ABOVE: While floating in front of massive Wolf Creek Dam on Monday, visiting recovery seacher Gene Ralston of Idaho aided local officials by using a remote submersible equipped with side-scan sonar to see if bodies of missing persons may have been deep in the lake at the base of the dam.

WOLF CREEK DAM - Gene and Sandy Ralston made a return trip to Lake Cumberland recently, and again they were searching for the body of a drowning victim.

They were also asked to hunt for a possible murder victim.

The Ralstons run a very successful recovery service, which quickly located the body of Shane Pierce in December of 2006 in the dark depths of Lake Cumberland. They have located 56 other victims across the country.

This week they were searching for Dr. Jack Scoby, who Lt. Tony Wright said drowned on Father's Day weekend in 2000.

This time they were not as successful.

"We found a few targets we're interested in," Gene said early Monday morning.

The Idaho couple were in this part of the country to help hunt for a man reported to have drowned in Tennessee's Norris Lake.

They stopped in here to try again for Scoby.

The last time they were here the couple had planned to search for Scoby, but weather put them off the lake.

Since they couldn't then work the lake the couple consented to help the Russell Springs Police Department search a pond where they had reason to believe the remains of Christopher Gregory were located.

That work was unsuccessful as well, but they were also looking again for Gregory on this last trip.

The search has been continuing for the 21-year-old Russell Countian who disappeared the end of January, 2006.

In addition to scouring the one pond with the robot, Russell Springs Police Chief Joseph M. Irvin said he has been checking out leads by helicopter and put divers into at least one rock quarry.

"Despite what some people have said we have not forgotten about Mr. Gregory," Irvin said. "And we have been following up on leads."

He said the department was included in the recent search of the lake because evidence turned up that at least one of the people suspected in Gregory's disappearance commonly made trips to Albany.

Irvin said the investigation is continuing and he asks that anyone with any information about Gregory's disappearance come forward.

Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the department after hours and leave a message on the recorder. That number is 270-866-3636.

Wright, an officer of the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife said the search stopped this week when they experienced an equipment failure on their submersible robot.

"He sent his ROV down to look at several interesting looking sonar returns close to the dam," Wright said. "The ones he located turned out to be a lawn chair, a submerged log and some rocks."

Before they could investigate all of them though the robot had to be brought to the surface.

The Ralstons left Tuesday to return to Idaho because they are on a tight schedule.

"Gene and Sandy travel all over the US and Canada. They are headed to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland soon," Wright said. "I expect he'll be back again."

Wright explained he has two compelling reasons for finding Scoby.

"I would like to give that family closure," he explained, adding; "His is only body lost in Lake Cumberland in all my time on this lake."

Wright said they have located every other drowning victim in this lake and he intends to be 100 percent.

Before he began working on Lake Cumberland there was another drowning where the body has never been recovered, that of Michael E. Buck of Waynesburg back in 1985.