Man rescued from Chattahoochee River cited for not wearing life vest

Columbus police have released the name of the man who was rescued Tuesday night after being stranded on the rocks in the Chattahoochee River.

Ryan Flowers, 25, of Phenix City was identified as the man who was cited for not wearing a life vest after the 8 p.m. incident beneath the 13th Street Bridge. He was taken into custody about an hour later and summoned to a Recorder’s Court hearing.

Authorities said they were called to the Chattahoochee River around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday to check on a man on the rocks after Georgia Power started generating power. Sending more water down the rivers caused the waters to rise quickly, Battalion Chief Bryan Watson said.

Members of the Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical launched boats and rescued him from rising waters on the rocks, Watson said.

Officials said Flowers indicated that the waters rose quicker than he expected. The river’s current changes when power has been generated, officials said.

“You can be having a good time and all of a sudden you can’t get back,” Watson said.

The citation comes more than a week after 32-year-old Darren Pate was arrested on June 16. Police said he was disorderly while intoxicated and on the river without a life vest in same area.

Life vests are required by law for anyone in the area along Columbus’ whitewater course from North Highlands dam to the south end of the Columbus Convention & Trade Center.

This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Man rescued from Chattahoochee River cited for not wearing life vest."