Recovery mission for man missing in Chattahoochee moves into second day
The search for a man missing in the Chattahoochee River resumed Thursday morning with divers working in the river and multiple helicopters searching from the air.
The operation that includes water rescue personnel from throughout the Chattahoochee Valley under the direction of the Columbus Fire & EMS as well as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Fort Benning has turned from a rescue mission to recovery, said Columbus Fire Marshal Ricky Shores.
The rescue squad worked from about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday until just before dark when the mission was suspended as Georgia Power increased water flow. The higher flow continued until about 9 Thursday morning.
Rescue workers responded to a call that a white male went under water near Bay Avenue and 11th Street and never surfaced. The man, who was part of a group from Warner Robins, Ga., that was here snorkeling, called for help before going under, witnesses said.
The search centered on the area of the river where the man was last seen. It is about 10 feet deep and has several large rocks, one half the size of a house, submerged just below the surface.
“History tells us he’s not very far from where he was last seen,” Shores said. “But there are a lot of factors that could change that. One is the main current and another would be body position while he was under water.”
The Georgia DNR helicopter was working most of the morning in the general area the man was last seen.
“The water is more clear today than it was yesterday,” Shores said. “You can see almost to the bottom.”
A Fort Benning helicopter also worked the river Thursday morning. It was on a scheduled training mission, but diverted to help in the operation, Shores said.
Opelika Fire and Rescue Lt. Bryan Densel was part of the team working to find the victim.
“When you get into a recovery operation, as opposed to a rescue operation, the pace slows down considerably and one of the reasons for that is safety,” Densel said.
Chuck Williams: 706-571-8510, @chuckwilliams
This story was originally published June 8, 2017 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Recovery mission for man missing in Chattahoochee moves into second day."