Pekin Man Dies From Apparent Drowning at Rainbow Lake

A 40-year-old man from Pekin passed away Saturday afternoon after an apparent drowning at Rainbow Lake in Derby, a small community in Perry County, Indiana.

Jason Andrew Briscoe, 40, of Pekin

According to a statement from the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received a call for service at approximately 2:31 p.m. on July 26, reporting a possible medical emergency involving a man on a raft.

Perry County deputies and first responders arrived to find the man unresponsive. CPR was performed at the scene, but he was later pronounced deceased by the Perry County Coroner.

The victim was identified as Jason Andrew Briscoe of Greencastle, however, his obituary lists him as a resident of Pekin and a lifelong member of the Washington County community. He was a graduate of Eastern High School and worked as a self-employed carpenter and plumber.

An autopsy was conducted Sunday, July 27. Preliminary results indicate that Briscoe died from drowning. The full autopsy report is pending, and the incident remains under investigation.

The Perry County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene by the U.S. Forest Service, Perry County EMS, Perry County Emergency Management, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Central Dispatch, and the Perry County Coroner’s Office.

A visitation for Briscoe will be held Thursday, July 31, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Dawalt Funeral Home in Salem, with a funeral service immediately following.

Briscoe is survived by his son, Brady Briscoe of Salem; his parents, Dennis and Kimberly Briscoe of Salem, and Barbara and Cecil Hortenberry of Pekin; two sisters, Michelle (Daniel) Briscoe and Jessica Briscoe (fiancé Nick Martin), both of Salem; and five nieces and nephews.