Missing 4-year-old boy was found in debris pool at Bibb Pond

Divers weren’t in the river Friday when a Georgia Department of Natural Resources ranger spotted the missing 4-year-old boy from a boat in the Chattahoochee River.

Beau Rabon of Bonneau, S.C., was recovered about 8:34 a.m., said Battalion Chief Bryan Watson of Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services. He was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m. by Muscogee County Chief Deputy Coroner Freeman Worley. No autopsy is planned because witnesses saw the boy fall into the water on March 28 while fishing with his father, James Rabon, who attempted to rescue him.

The boy’s body was located about 250 yards south of Lake Oliver dam in a debris pool in Bibb Pond, the deputy coroner said. The body of the 27-year-old father was recovered in the same area on Easter Sunday.

Divers, DNR rangers and a team from Columbia , S.C., with new camera equipment were waiting for Georgia Power to reduce the water flow to start the 10th day of searching.

“We were waiting on the water to come down so we went to one of our search areas we were going to do some searches real quick while we were waiting to get in the water and a DNR Ranger located Beau about 8:34 this morning,” Watson said. “We’ve spoken with the family, we notified them. As you can imagine as I stated earlier this week they suffered a catastrophic loss, as a husband, father, brother, son, grandchild. This is the culmination of an effort that started about 10 days ago.”

While the boy was seen from a person in a boat, Watson said officials were able to use new equipment and two divers from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to work until nightfall Thursday and clear areas.

“We were able to clear a lot of areas we had been in,” Watson said. “Our plan today was to expand our search.”

The recovery team kept their word throughout the search to find the father and son. “We wouldn’t quit,” Watson said. “We give our word to the family that we would find them.”

Sgt. Rhett Bickley, of aquatics investigation and recovery team from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said the team adopts a family.

“We have to work for them and do our best to bring their family member back to them,” he said. “You may know your family member is gone in your mind but until somebody can bring them back to you, you can’t begin the closure process. That is a big part of this.”

While Bickley brought new technology to assist in the search, he said hearts and guts were already here.

“We didn’t bring anymore guts and hearts than what already was present here,” he said. “The fact that they have gone for nine days driving as hard as they were driving and pushing each other, the fact is that they made the recovery.”

Bickley down played the efforts by the new equipment. Beau was brought home by firefighters and game wardens working together. “Equipment didn’t do it at the end to the day,” he said. “It was guys in green and the fire squadron that brought him home.”

Watson recognized the efforts from the community during the search. Local businesses provided food, firefighters offered to work on off days and residents.

“This was a huge effort,” he said. “This was the longest dive operation I have been on . These guys never, ever ever backed up. They never lost their resolve, they never lost their heart.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Missing 4-year-old boy was found in debris pool at Bibb Pond."