The two bodies found at 7 a.m. Monday were confirmed to be the missing boaters from this weekend’s collision on the James River, according to officials.
The bodies of Leroy Parker and Robert Coleman, age 58 were recovered from the water by Virginia Marine Resources Commission, said Ellen Bolen, deputy commissioner.
An age was not given for Parker. The bodies were found in the area of Victory Landing Park, according to the Newport News Fire Department.
A recreational boat collided with an oyster barge being pushed by a tugboat early Saturday.
The Coast Guard received a call from the tugboat Miss Hannah at 7:44 a.m. Saturday reporting the incident between the James River Bridge and the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
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The tug reported they saw the bow of a 19-foot center console boat pop up behind a tug pushing the oyster barge, which also had a pump barge alongside it.
Good Samaritans pulled four people from the water, who were taken a local hospital, the Coast Guard said. They are expected to make a full recovery.
