An investigation is underway after a fisherman was found dead in Scott County on Tuesday.
The body of 78-year-old William Lee Purvis was recovered by a dive team near the Low Head Dam boat ramp connected to the Ross Barnett Reservoir shortly after noon. Over the weekend, the body of a boater, 62-year-old Steve Cermak, was found in the reservoir in Brandon. Officials believe Cermak died from a medical emergency.
As to the cause of death for Purvis, law enforcement informed WLBT of their belief that Purvis’ truck and boat went off into the reservoir and he appeared to have drowned.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks responded to the incident.
