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Petersburg man dies in West Virginia river

BULL RUN, W.Va. — West Virginia officials took nearly two days searching before finding the body of a Springfield Local graduate who was reportedly swept away in Cheat River southeast of Morgantown over the weekend.

According to reports from the Journal’s news partner, WKBN First News, the Preston County sheriff’s office was called to the Bull Run area in Preston County around 4 a.m. Sunday for a reported drowning.

Officials with the sheriff’s office and other agencies searched for nearly two days before finding the body of Michael Lewis, 23, of Petersburg, who had been lost in the river.

Lewis was a 2013 Springfield Local High School graduate who was captain of the football team and crowned Homecoming king that same year.

According to reports, he was with another man, 23-year-old Shane Forame, also of Petersburg, when he was swept away in Cheat River.

Forame was left stranded in the water and officials were able to pull him out, WKBN reported.

West Virginia state police, several fire departments and rescue teams worked alongside the sheriff’s office with the recovery efforts, according to the report.

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