![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2c29a303-bb71-485b-bb5c-8aa751c0e6fd.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTwo boats collide on the Mon River; 1 dead, 3 remain missing<\/p>\n
Search effort turns into recovery mission in the area of Rices Landing, Greene County<\/p>\n
RICES LANDING, Pa. \u2014<\/p>\n
A search for three people after a boat capsized in the Monongahela River has now become a recovery mission, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Greene County emergency management officials said Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Emergency crews at the scene near Rices Landing said two men and a woman remain missing, while a woman and a man were rescued and flown to area hospitals. <\/p>\n
The Fish and Boat Commission later confirmed to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that the woman rescued from the water later die. No other information has been released.<\/p>\n
Sgt. Frank Mehalko of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said the 24-foot cabin cruiser collided with a tugboat vessel pushing a barge Sunday night. That caused the cruiser to capsize just before 9 p.m. about a mile north of Rices Landing. <\/p>\n
“The barge operator had actually stopped the boat after the collision. Two of the crew members actually boarded a life vessel and actually rescued the two that were in the river,” Sgt. Frank Mehalko of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said.<\/p>\n
Mehalko said it is unclear what caused the collision, the speed of either vessel, or whether visibility was a factor, but noted the incident occurred after dark. <\/p>\n
Melanie Miller, a Rices Landing resident, recalled seeing boats on the river within the hour of the collision.<\/p>\n
“I saw the barge coming from Fredericktown direction, saw the boats out here and it was about 9 o\u2019clock, I heard sirens going\u2026 about 9:30 LifeFlights started landing, search helicopters, life flights, everything,” she said. <\/p>\n
The search for the missing boaters\u2014two men and one woman\u2014began immediately, with state police helicopters, drones, and canines assisting in the effort. Canines were used to search a 100-yard circumference around the crash location.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got multiple sonar units in the water. We’ve had some divers. We’re just not finding anything,” said Richard Policz, Greene County director of emergency services. <\/p>\n
When asked if the transition from a rescue mission to a recovery mission indicated the missing boaters may not have survived, Policz said, “It\u2019s looking that way to us right now with everything we’ve had. K-9 out, searching. They’ve hit some areas that’s in the water. So we just have not found anything yet. But we’re still keeping hope up of maybe somebody as you can see, it’s very, a lot of vegetation along the banks, that maybe somebody\u2019s there.” <\/p>\n
Greene County emergency services and dive teams will determine how long the search efforts will continue.<\/p>\n
The Greene County DA was on scene to support the agencies involved.<\/p>\n
Multiple volunteer fire companies have been called to help with the ongoing efforts, as well as the Fish and Boat Commission and Murrysville Medic One Dive Team.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is a developing story. Stay with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 for updates. <\/p>\n
Download the WTAE app<\/a> to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters<\/a> to get breaking news in your inbox.<\/p>\n