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Boater missing at Beltzville

A man apparently fell out of his boat this morning at Beltzville Lake and went missing.

The incident was reported about 6 a.m.Dozens of rescue personnel, including divers, were dispatched to the scene and spent hours looking for him this morning.His identity was not known.Another boater on the lake heard calls for help and spotted an overturned boat, according to Carbon County Communications radio traffic this morning.The Pine Run boat launch served as the staging area for about a dozen search and rescue crews from Carbon, Lehigh and Schuylkill counties. A dive team from Montgomery County also was expected at the scene.Assisting in the search were Lehighton Fire Department's Search and Rescue Dive Team, Lake Harmony Rescue Squad and Dive Team, East Penn Technical Search and Rescue Boat and Dive Team, Ryan Township Emergency Rescue Squad and Dive Team, Schuylkill Haven Dive Rescue and Recovery Team, Mahanoy City West End Water Rescue Team, Northampton Fire Company, Whitehall Fire Department's Water Rescue Team, Lehighton Ambulance, rangers from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Carbon County Emergency Management Agency.In addition to search and rescue crews in boats, a PennSTAR helicopter assisted from the air with its special thermal imaging camera.The state police also offered a helicopter, but rescue workers declined because of the murky water.As of press time today, crews were still searching for the man.

ANDREW LEIBENGUTH/TIMES NEWS DCNR Rangers Scott Christman and Dave Roberts, right, investigate a Starcraft boat that was found overturned on the Beltzville Lake this morning by another boater, who responded after hearing calls for help.