Central Kentucky man drowns at Herrington Lake after falling off a boat

A 71-year-old man died at Herrington Lake Thursday after falling overboard off a boat, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The incident happened sometime before 1:15 p.m. at Mid Lake Marina in Mercer County, according to the fish and wildlife department. It was determined that Gary LaFleur fell overboard from a johnboat as another person was attempting to secure the boat onto its trailer.

A personal flotation device was thrown to LaFleur and he was pulled to shore, where he was given CPR, the department of fish and wildlife said in a news release. LaFleur was sent to Ephraim McDowell James B Haggin Hospital in Harrodsburg, where he was pronounced dead.

LaFluer was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, according to the fish and wildlife department. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

LaFluer was a professor for the school of English, communication, media and languages at Morehead State University. He had been teaching for nearly 50 years and had been at Morehead State since 1992.