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Another Illinois River Drowning

By AP

Tahlequah, OK – Boley man drowns in Illinois River

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) A 32-year-old Boley man has died while rafting and wading in the Illinois River.

Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission Administrator Ed Fite says divers from the Cherokee Nation Marshals recovered the body of Datrick Martin from the river in Cherokee County about 3:10 p.m. Saturday.

Fite says witnesses told authorities Martin had exited a raft he'd been floating in and began wading in the river when he stepped into an area of deeper water and immediately began having trouble swimming due to the river's current. He called out for help before submerging and didn't resurface.

Martin is the fifth person to drown in the Illinois River since the Memorial Day holiday weekend. He was not wearing a life jacket.