Rocky Point man drowns in Black River

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Pender County Sheriff’s Office says a man from Rocky Point drowned in the Black River this weekend.

A spokesman with the Sheriff’s Office said the 31-year-old man went missing Friday night. The spokesman said the call came in around 3:45 a.m. from the 2400 block of Point Caswell Road in Atkinson.

Units from Atkinson Fire Department, Pender EMS and Fire and the Pender County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched. Additional resources including NC Wildlife and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Marine and Dive Teams were called in to assist with the search. Crews searched throughout the day on Saturday.

At 5:30 pm, the body of James Thomas Croom, 31, of Rocky Point was located in the water about 100 yards from his last known location.

Police said Croom and a friend had gone swimming in Black River around 2:00 a.m. before Croom went missing.

An autopsy has been scheduled.