New Brockton, Ala. (WDNews) – A fishing trip in Coffee County ended in tragedy after a boat overturned, leaving one man dead and another rescued from the water.
According to Coffee County Sheriff Scott Byrd, 21-year-old Byron Ja’Kee Burkes and another man were fishing in a pond off Highway 84 in New Brockton when their boat capsized around 5:00 p.m. One man managed to cling to the overturned boat and was later rescued, while Burkes tragically had drowned.
Two firefighters braved the freezing water to reach the survivor, bringing him safely to shore before he was transported to the hospital. Burkes’ body was later recovered after 8:00 p.m., Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham reportedly confirmed.
No other details available at this time.
