Lake Eufaula, Ala. (WDNews) – A 22-year-old duck hunter from Griffin, Ga., lost his life early Saturday morning after a boating incident near Thomas Mill Creek on Lake Eufaula.
Henry County deputies were alerted around 5:04 a.m. to a group of hunters stranded on an island. According to reports, their boat had drifted away, and one hunter swam after it. The group believed he had reached the boat but was later unresponsive.
Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship deployed the department’s marine unit just before 6:00 a.m. The boat was located by 6:11 a.m. northwest of the island, but the missing hunter was not aboard. Deputies returned the vessel to the stranded hunters and began searching for the missing man. Using side-imaging sonar, the marine unit detected an object in 20 feet of water, approximately 100 yards from the island’s shore.
The Houston County Search and Rescue Dive Team recovered the hunter’s body at 9:59 a.m. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The investigation will be handled by Georgia DNR, as the incident occurred on Georgia’s side of the lake. Sheriff Blankenship expressed gratitude to the numerous agencies that assisted in the search and recovery effort, including Abbeville Fire/Rescue, Georgia DNR, and Houston County Search and Rescue.
“This is a very tragic incident,” said Sheriff Blankenship. “I’d like to thank the many agencies that responded so quickly. However, this isn’t the outcome we were hoping for. Please keep this family and his friends in your thoughts and prayers as they cope with this difficult situation.”
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing.
