2 bodies recovered from Monongahela River, 1 person still missing after towboat and private vessel crash

Two bodies were recovered from the Monongahela River in Greene County on Tuesday, as crews searched the water after a towboat and a private vessel collided Sunday night.

The Luzerne Township Volunteer Fire Company said one male body and one female body were pulled from the river and one person remains unaccounted for. It was not immediately clear where the bodies were recovered on Tuesday. 

The collision occurred Sunday around 9 p.m. near Min Love Park in Rices Landing. Crews rescued a man and a woman from the water on Sunday night. The woman was declared dead at a hospital in West Virginia on Monday, and the man was last believed to be in critical condition. The names of the five people involved in the crash have not been released. 

Richard Policz, the Greene County director of emergency services, said on Monday that divers and other emergency personnel shifted the operation into recovery mode.

"We've had numerous searches, resources, brought in from four counties and even the state of Maryland, state police helicopter helping us, along with Pennsylvania," Policz said Monday during a news conference. "We've got multiple sonar units in the water."

Authorities said on Monday that the initial call about the collision came in from the towboat, which was then followed by a distress call from another private boat. The 24-foot private vessel capsized after crashing into the towboat. 

In a post on Facebook, Murrysville Medic One Dive Team said its divers spent Tuesday conducting systematic sonar grid searches and working with cadaver K-9 teams and other divers on specific areas. 

"We appreciate the coordination and teamwork of all agencies involved in this difficult and challenging operation," the post closed. "Our thoughts remain with the missing boaters, their families, and everyone affected by this incident."