Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones reports that June 10, 2016 at approximately 10:00 PM, Joseph Daniel Earnest 35 and James Johnson 39 entered the creek near Treiber Road in St. Clair Township on inner tubes. This area is where seven mile creek turns into four mile creek just north of the Village of New Miami. James Johnson reports that the two got separated in the dark and that Mr. Earnest’s inner tube floated down stream.
James Johnson was not sure if Mr. Earnest had gotten out of the water up stream or had fallen off of the inner tube and into the water. A search was conducted by family members along with New Miami Police and Fire. Mr. Earnest’s body was discovered on the bank of the creek at approximately 3:30 AM near Seven Mile Avenue and Fox Avenue. The area where he was located has swift moving currents in some locations and the depths vary from chest high to knee deep water.
Butler County Coroner, Dr. Lisa Mannix, responded to the scene along with a Detective from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. The Butler County Regional Water Rescue Team recovered the body. This case remains under investigation.
