Remains identified as Arrington firefighter who went missing during 2016 boat trip
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on March 19, 2018 11:22 AM
Medical examiners have determined that human remains found recently belonged to a Wayne County man who went missing more than 18 months ago while swimming in the Yeopim River of Perquimans County.
According to a recent report in the Perquimans Weekly newspaper, a skull was found in January, on the New Hope shoreline, approximately 10 miles from where John Poandl had last been seen in the water.
Perquimans County Sheriff Shelby White said the medical examiner in Greenville had identified the skull as that of the 57-year-old Dudley man.
Poandl, who owned property in Holiday Island, was last seen July 6, 2016, when he and another man got separated from their pontoon boat while swimming in the Yeopim River.
Poandl was reportedly in Hertford with his wife and two friends when the two men went for a swim. According to state officials, they tried to swim back to the boat but it had drifted away.
The other man was rescued by the N.C. Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies continued to search for Poandl.
On July 15, 2016, the New-Argus reported that the search had been called off.
Poandl had been a firefighter with Arrington Volunteer Fire Department for more than 25 years.