BUTLER, Ky. — As Pendleton County residents continue to clean up after the Licking River swallowed parts of Butler whole, the community is also mourning one of its own.
Robert Singleton, adoringly called "Boo" by those who knew him, was found dead Monday after the county coroner's office said he suffered a medical incident while along the banks of the Licking River.
First responders found the 66-year-old's body in the water with his life jacket on. His canoe and truck were found nearby. Singleton was also found a block away from an oil spill in Willow Creek, something he posted on social media saying he was "hell bent" on cleaning up.
"If Boo saw a need, Boo was out there, and this was something that I'm sure he was going to pick up trash, because that's his big thing," said Herman Schack, treasurer of the Butler Lions Club.
Schack said Singleton was "an original Butler river rat."
"He was born and raised right down here on the river," Schack said.
Hear more about how Singleton impacted those around him in the video below:
Schack and Singleton worked together at the Butler Lions Club, building wheelchair ramps and cleaning the river.
"You're going to find three new members to take to do what Boo did," Schack said.
Wanda Slade, a Butler resident, said he loved to clean the town up.
"(He) hung signs up for littering. He did not like anybody to litter," she said.
She also said he made a connection with each and every person around town.
"We’re going to be hard-pressed to replace him, without a doubt," she said.
