Divers have recovered the bodies of two brothers killed in a boating accident on the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland, police say.
The men, Eriberto Ferrufino, 47, and Franklin Ferrufino, 43, both of Silver Spring, went missing Saturday night.
Their bodies were recovered Sunday, Maryland Natural Resources Police said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Police began searching for the men after the boat they were riding in was discovered empty and turning in circles near Cobb Island.
The two men are believed to have been out fishing Saturday night when their boat hit a pole called a day marker, fallen from the boat and drowned.
They were not wearing life jackets at the time of the crash, and alcohol may have been a factor because empty beer cans were found in the boat, said Maryland Natural Resources Police Capt. Brian Rathgeb.
The investigation into their deaths is still ongoing, he said.
Police say nine people, including the two men, have died so far this year in boating accidents in the state.
If the pace of deaths on Maryland waters keep up, the state could be on-track for one of the deadliest years on-record, police said.
Wearing the protective gear and taking precautions to follow boating laws could save lives.
"Know what you're doing out on the waterways, know where you're going, be aware of your surroundings, particularly at night time," he said.
In 2017, a total of nine people died in such accidents over the entire year in Maryland, police said. None of the victims were wearing life jackets.
