A witness has shared details of the final moments before a 19-year-old woman drowned in Grayson Lake, Kentucky, recounting an exchange where she was advised to use a life jacket. Marly Kinney died on June 24 after a group of friends rented a pontoon boat for a day of swimming and cliff jumping at Grayson Lake State Park.
Leah Ross, who was nearby with her family, told the Daily Mail that her husband called out to Kinney and her friends as they prepared to jump from a 20-foot bluff known locally as "Sex Rock." He suggested they "throw a life jacket down there" in case something went wrong when they hit the water. Ross stated that Kinney responded, "Ok yeah thank you, I’ll do that," but did not deploy a life jacket. The group reportedly did not have life jackets readily available.
Ross observed Kinney safely surface and swim back to the boat after the jump. However, hours later, Kinney went into the water and never returned to the pontoon. Her group, consisting of about ten people in their early twenties, realized she was missing around 3 p.m. Some members of the group had gone into the water to use the restroom.
Cameron Conley, 23, who was operating the boat, reported Kinney missing to marina staff around 4 p.m. The incident triggered a four-day search of the 1,500-acre reservoir involving game wardens, helicopters, divers, drones, and cadaver dogs. Kinney's body was discovered on Sunday afternoon.
Conley was arrested for boating under the influence. According to citation paperwork, state troopers detected an odor of alcohol, observed bloodshot and glassy eyes, and noted a blood alcohol level of .137, which is nearly twice the legal limit. Conley is scheduled to appear in court on July 22.
Kinney was described by her sister, Willow VanHoose, as a strong swimmer who attended the gym daily. VanHoose mentioned that while there are conflicting accounts, she was told Conley was not operating the boat at the exact moment her sister disappeared.
Drownings at Grayson Lake are infrequent. Officials noted that while cliff jumping is prohibited, it is difficult to enforce along the lake's extensive shoreline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the nearby dam, stated that drownings are rare, especially in calm weather conditions, and that they have never heard of a drowning incident involving someone wearing a life jacket. The area known as "Sex Rock" has not had any reported drownings, according to a resource manager.
Investigators are awaiting the State Medical Examiner's Office to determine the official cause of death. Friends and family have established a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses, which has raised approximately $22,000. Kinney was a student at Ashland Community and Technical College and worked as a server. Her parents have requested privacy during their time of grief.