Perry County man charged after shots fired at boater on Carr Creek Lake

A Perry County man faces felony charges after Kentucky State Game Wardens said he fired shots at another boater on Carr Creek Lake, raising fresh safety concerns for a crowded summer waterway where anglers, skiers and families share the same narrow stretches of water.

Bert Kilburn, 67, of Happy, was charged with three counts each of first-degree wanton endangerment and menacing, along with one count of first-degree disorderly conduct. Wardens were called to the lake on May 12 after a boater reported that another man had fired at his vessel while both boats were on the water.

Investigators say Kilburn was fishing when a boat pulling a water skier passed him. The warrant alleges he then fired a weapon while three people were aboard the ski boat. Witnesses told the investigator that Kilburn pointed the gun at them and tracked the boat for 30 to 40 seconds until it disappeared from sight. They also reported seeing smoke rise from the barrel of the gun, suggesting a shot had been fired.

The case has drawn attention because Carr Creek Lake is a heavily used recreation area in neighboring Knott County, about 20 miles east of Hazard on KY 15. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife lists the lake at 521 acres and notes access sites including Carr Creek Marina, Carr Creek Dam Ramp and tailwater access. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers describes the lake as a recreation area with boating, fishing and water-skiing among its uses, and Kentucky State Parks says the surrounding area was once home to pioneer settlements dating back to the 1770s.

The criminal charges also carry weight under Kentucky law. First-degree wanton endangerment is defined as conduct showing extreme indifference to human life that creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury, and it is a Class D felony. Menacing is also charged in the case, underscoring prosecutors’ view that the allegation went far beyond a routine dispute on the water.

Kilburn was taken into custody at his home in Happy and booked into the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard. He was later released Monday on a $2,500 cash bond. District 7 Fish and Wildlife officers reportedly served the felony warrant on a Friday morning, bringing the case back into the same Hazard-area law enforcement system that many Perry County residents know well.

The allegation now hangs over one of eastern Kentucky’s most visible boating spots as the summer season gets underway, with public officials and lake users alike confronting how quickly a day of fishing and recreation can turn into a felony case involving a firearm on the water.