County man drowns in ‘treacherous piece of water’

By Bill Byrd
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT August 05, 2008 10:33 pm

— Funeral services for a 20-year-old Marion County man who drowned last weekend when he was swept away by swiftly rising waters on a Preston County creek will be held Friday.
John Wesley “Wes” Thompson’s body was found early Monday night near where the Cheat River flows into Cheat Lake, Preston County Sheriff Ron Crites said.
Thompson and a friend had gone camping last Friday on the banks of a creek that flows into the Cheat River near Masontown.
The two young men were caught in rising waters after heavy thunderstorms passed over the area Friday night, Crites said.
On Saturday afternoon, Thompson’s friend was able to cross the creek, using a rope tied to a tree on the opposite bank. But when Thompson was pulling himself across on the rope, he was swept away by the current.
“Whether it’s the Big Sandy Creek or the Cheat River, the water can come up in a little bit or no time,” said Crites.
“It’s a treacherous piece of water,” he said.
Thompson’s body was spotted near Cheat Lake about 6 p.m. Monday, the sheriff said. A report was made to the Monongalia emergency communications center, which then contacted Preston authorities who were leading the search, Crites said.
A West Virginia University student majoring in nutrition, Thompson would have been a junior this fall.
He is a son of John M. Thompson and Terri Ann Earl, both of Fairmont, according to his obituary. He was attending Trinity Baptist Church in Blacksville and had previously attended Viola Church and Fellowship Baptist Church, both in Fairmont.
Thompson was working at the Shop ’N Save at the GlenMark Center in Morgantown.
He “loved playing basketball, cooking for his family, fishing with friends and attending church,” his obituary states.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Viola Church in Fairmont with Pastor Scott Krepps officiating.
His obituary appears on Page 4A.
E-mail Bill Byrd at bbyrd@timeswv.com.