Body recovered in Lake Cherokee

Law enforcement officers yesterday afternoon recovered the body of a 27-year-old Gladewater man from the waters of Lake Cherokee in Southeastern Gregg County.

Christopher Carpenter had been the subject of a water search since late Saturday night.

Gregg County Sheriff 's investigators, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens and Lake Cherokee Security personnel have been investigating a two-vessel boating collision which occurred at approximately 11:30 pm. Saturday. The results of the collision sent at least two to a local hospital for treatment and another into the waters of Lake Cherokee. One of the hospital treated victims remains hospitalized.

Dive teams from the Longview Fire Department, Henderson Fire Department and the Henderson County Sheriff 's Office Water Search team searched the ski zone area of Lake Cherokee Sunday and again Monday.

"This afternoon we had a heavy concentrated group of Game Wardens, Sheriff investigators, Lake Cherokee personnel and a Texas Department of Public Safety aircraft searching the water when the body of Carpenter was discovered, shortly after 4 p.m.," Mike Claxton said after the body was discovered yesterday. "The search for Carpenter had been on-going, using many assets and our effort proved rewarding today."

An inquest was held by Judge Arthur Fort Monday afternoon, who ordered the body of Carpenter be taken to the Southeast Forensics Laboratory in Tyler for a post-mortem examination.

Sheriff Maxey Cerliano delivered the news of the recovery yesterday afternoon to two relatives representing Carpenter's family, according to Claxton.

"Obviously we are working this as a criminal investigation and with that in mind Investigators have more work ahead of them," Maxey Cerliano, Gregg County sheriff, said. "We are pleased today by the recovery of Chris, and we hope this offers some comfort to his family." +