Columbus officials looking for possible drowning victim behind Trade Center
Columbus Fire & EMS responders are continuing to search the Chattahoochee River for a possible drowning victim that was last seen Tuesday afternoon.
The incident was reported to the agency around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Two witnesses said they saw a man struggling in the water before going under. One jumped in the river in an attempt to save the man, but was unsuccessful, Columbus Fire & EMS Battalion Chief Bryan Watson said.
Responders began the search at Waveshaper Island, near Eagle and Phenix Mills, and stopped after sundown. On Wednesday, the search moved downriver to behind the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.
Divers, sonar equipment and surface searches are all being utilized, Watson said during a 4 p.m. update Wednesday.
“This is a dangerous body of water. You’re supposed to have a life jacket on, we preach it every year. If you’re going be in the water, if you’re going be near the water, you need to have a life jacket... This water can go from very calm at times to very swift at times,” Watson said.
The man’s belongings were found on a riverbank but officials are withholding his identity.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 2:10 PM.
