The water is 100 feet deep in some places so underwater cameras couldn't help the search.
STANLY COUNTY, N.C. -- Rescue teams from five counties continued searching Badin Lake on Monday in hopes of finding a man who disappeared while tubing with his family Sunday afternoon.
The Old Whitney boat landing is closed to the public and the Stanly County Sheriff's Office and wildlife officers are keeping boaters out of the search area. The water is 100 feet deep in some places so underwater cameras couldn't help the search. Cadaver dogs were brought in and the Charlotte dive team used sonar cameras to search.
“It's very difficult because you can't see what you have to search,” said Robert Wilhoit, of the Stanly County Rescue Squad. “You can only see the surface of the water, so you actually, it's like working in the blind.”
News 14 Carolina's Jennifer Moxley has more on the apparent drowning and some other recent cases that might have been prevented.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, in 2006, 24 people in North Carolina died in boating accidents. Across the country there were 710 deaths and two-thirds of the victims were not wearing a life jacket.
Someone drowned Sunday in Mebane at a farm pond off Harmony Church Road. That person was found by rescuers a few hours later. And Sunday in Vance County, a 9-year-old girl drowned in Kerr Lake
This time last year, rescue workers were out on Badin Lake looking for 33-year-old Alfred Cain. Cain was in a boating accident and also was not wearing a life jacket. Rescue workers say these tragedies are reminders of the importance of safety vests.
To stay safe on the water, you should never swim alone, only swim in designated areas and you should not swim after drinking alcohol. State law requires children under 13 to wear a life vest but it's suggested everyone wear a life jacket to ensure a safe trip.