Rescuers Recover Body of Ashburn Father at Reservoir

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. Nov. 28

Around noon today, Nov. 28, Loudoun County rescue workers recovered the body of an Ashburn man whose boat capsized Sunday during an outing with his son at the Beaverdam Creek Reservoir.

Anthony M. DiGiovanna, 49, was canoeing with son, 7, and a dog around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, when the boat turned over. Emergency personnel responded to the scene at a landing near Mt. Hope Baptist Church.

The boy, who wore a life jacket, was assisted to shore by witnesses and treated at a hospital before being released Monday. The body of his father, who was not wearing a life jacket, could not be located for nearly 24 hours.

Initial Story:

An unidentified man remains missing after his canoe capsized on Beaverdam Creek Reservoir Sunday, Nov. 27, according to a report from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Rescue workers from the LCSO were called to assist the Loudoun Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management for a water rescue Sunday after a canoe turned over and one of its occupants did not surface. A child who was in the canoe was assisted to shore by nearby witnesses and taken to a local hospital as a precaution. An adult male accompanying the child could not be located.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team worked throughout the night, with aerial support, but had not reported finding the man as of 9:15 a.m. Nov. 28. [There was no change in this report as of 11:25 a.m. Nov. 28.]

The man is reportedly a resident of Broadlands, and there is a forum on the community's website about the accident. Patch will withhold the unconfirmed identity of the man until released by the LCSO.