Cadaver dogs narrowed the Tennessee River search area to within 50 feet for a missing Giles County, Tenn., man who disappeared beneath the water Tuesday afternoon on a fishing trip near the mouth of the Elk River.
Although not officially identified, the GilesNews.US Website quoted local sources as saying the drowning victim is Giles County resident Tim Garner, 46.
Rogersville Fire Department is heading up the multi-agency search. Assistant Chief Kevin McWilliams said his team is prepared to continue searching until the body is found, which he estimated could take from two to seven days.
Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency Search and Rescue volunteer Ken Rager said that the missing man and his son, who had just graduated from high school, were fishing most of the day Tuesday when they jumped out of their unanchored boat to “cool off.”
“We had a little current and wind yesterday (Tuesday) and the boat drifted,” said Rager. “The dad couldn’t make it back to the boat. We had heard he had been sick, possibly with pneumonia, and was in a weakened state.”
The search area is concentrated from 200 yards to 600 yards off shore from the boat dock from which the two embarked early Tuesday off Lauderdale County Road 91.
McWilliams said that on Wednesday the Florence Police dive team, the Limestone County Rescue Squad and the Alabama Marine Police were continuing the search with the assistance of cadaver dogs from the Sumner County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Department.
“At one time Tuesday night we had an army of boats—at least 16. We also had TVA police and the Morgan County and Killen rescue squads also here,” said McWilliams. “I gather (the victim and his son) were out the biggest portion of the day and they were coming into dock when they jumped out of the boat.”
A cadaver dog under the direction of Sumner County K-9 Unit Reserve Deputy Tim Perry made a “hit” late Wednesday morning near the southern most buoy marking the search area. Perry brought the dog back to shore and took a second dog out who also hit in the same area as identified by a GPS system.
“Every alert we’ve got came in a 50-foot radius,” said Perry. “That is black water down there. It’s all by feel. I recommend they let the drag team drag the area and if they bring up any evidence then they send down a diver. It’s like looking for needle in a haystack.”
Assisting Perry was Maury County, Tenn., K-9 Unit officer Erica Woodside.
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