Two years later, mystery still surrounds Evansville’s infamous Ohio River camper
EVANSVILLE – We still don’t know who did it.
Well, someone does, but after two years, the name of the person or persons responsible for planting a now-departed camper on a sandbar in the Ohio River and sparking a brief, citywide sensation still hasn’t been made public.
The Louisville office of the U.S. Corps of Engineers has said they identified a suspect soon after the camper appeared. But Katie Newton, chief of public affairs for the Louisville office, told the Courier & Press recently they chose not to “pursue criminal prosecution in this particular instance.”
“However, the Corps maintains the authority to seek criminal prosecution for any future violation,” she said.
The infamous Ohio River camper sits on a sandbar on July 28, 2022. It caused a stir throughout the during its multi-day stay. High water eventually overtook it, and it broke up as crews attempted to haul it to shore.
A repeat offense would likely violate the Rivers and Harbors Act, which makes it illegal to obstruct a river channel or deposit refuse into the Ohio River.
The opportunity for that likely won’t arise anytime soon. The Corps creates the sandbar by dredging the river for debris and sand. The resulting detritus then floats to the surface to form a makeshift beach. Newton said dredging is set to start this week. A beach, however, may not materialize.
“The amount of dredging needed is less than most years, so we are not sure whether a sandbar will be created at normal pool this year,” she said.
The P**n Saloon: Evansville camper becomes famous
There was plenty in 2022. And that’s when the trouble started.
In late July that year, a run-down 1980s-era camper materialized on the sand as if by magic. Hordes of boaters traversed the river to party next to it. Out-of-towners snapped photos from the bank. City Councilor and realtor Missy Mosby even posed in front of it with a red “pending” sign, joking that she’d found an interested buyer.
Eventually an unknown folk hero christened it with a memorable name: the P**n Saloon. A cardboard sign hung over its door.
By July 29, however, rising water levels threatened to swallow it whole. TV news stations and social media sites set up live video feeds that drew thousands of people eager to watch its incremental death.
Uniontown Water Rescue and the Henderson City-County Rescue Squad “recovered” the camper on July 30 and towed it toward shore, but the wear from the water was too great, and it broke into several pieces.
Since then, the city has clung to its memory. There’s a website dedicated to it and online stores filled with t-shirts. But its biggest brush with fame came that August, when the long-standing satirical tabloid The Weekly World News slapped the camper next to a photoshopped picture of comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson.
“Pete Davidson Seen Leaving a Questionable Establishment in Utah’s West Desert,” the headline read.
No joke to Army Corps of Engineers
The Corps of Engineers, however, saw the whole episode as a potential hazard. And when the time came to dredge the river and potentially create another sandbar in 2023, they issued a stern warning.
“USACE can dispose of the dredged material below the water surface such that no sand bar is created, if needed to protect the environment and to mitigate risks to public safety,” a news release stated. “A previous incident in 2022 involving a camper that was abandoned on the sand bar is an illustrative example of the types of violations which could lead to the loss of the recreational amenity.”
Who put the camper there?
The Evansville Police Department, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police all told the Courier & Press Thursday they had no involvement of the saga. And the Corps of Engineers has never released the name or names of the person they believe is responsible.
So unless someone decides to come forward, the wider public may never know who caused the whole stir – and a great Evansville mystery will continue.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Mystery still surrounds Evansville’s Ohio River camper 2 years later
#years #mystery #surrounds #Evansvilles #infamous #Ohio #River #camper