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Three siblings from the Charlottesville area drowned in the James River near Arnolds Valley last Friday evening.
The bodies of the three were recovered Saturday morning.
According to a statement from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office, the Rockbridge Regional Public Safety Communications Center had received a call for help around 7:43 Friday evening concerning three swimmers who were missing.
Emergency personnel responded immediately to the area and began a search and rescue operation. The following agencies worked through the night but were unable to locate the missing swimmers: Buena Vista Fire, Buena Vista Rescue, Glasgow Fire, Glasgow Rescue, Natural Bridge Fire, Rockbridge Baths Fire, Rockbridge County Fire-Rescue, Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia Conservation Police, and the Virginia State Police Search and Rescue Team.
At approximately 9:45 Saturday morning, emergency personnel recovered the family members from the water a short distance from where page 2 they were last seen.
The three individuals have been identified as Omar, 19, Marieme, 16, and Aicha Wade, 10, the three children of Papa and Khadidiatou Wade of Charlottesville.
They were staying in the area as part of a church retreat.
According to Tony Mc-Faddin, chief deputy of the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office, the danger may have been a sudden area of deeper water.
“The problem with any natural body of water, whether it’s a river or a lake, is that you can’t see what’s ahead of you or what’s under you,” he said. “The area they originally went in was shallow, but very quickly there was an underwater ledge that dropped maybe 15, 20 feet.”
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office are handling the death investigation Community members have been raising support and funds for the family in the days since the tragedy.
A Go Fund Me page started by Rick Postle raised almost $13,500 in its first 24 hours (between Monday and Tuesday morning), with the company Blue Ridge Bread matching the first $5,000 donated.
Another donation page was started by the Islamic Society of Central Virginia, which wrote: “As a community, let’s come together and offer our support to help [the Wade family] cope with the unimaginable grief and financial burden they may be facing. By contributing to this fundraiser, we can assist the family in covering funeral expenses, counseling, and any other immediate needs they might have.”
This page, on Launch good. com, had raised upwards of $90,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Both pages are still open for donations at the links below: https://www.launchgood. com/campaign/helping_a_ family_through_a_time_of_ loss#!/; https://www.gofundme. com/f/pawhee-the-wadefamily.
THE THREE Charlottesville area siblings who died in a drowning accident last Friday in Rockbridge County were (from left) Omar, 19, Marieme, 16, and Aicha Wade, 10.
