Search Continues For Missing Boater
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Posted: 7:33 AM Jun 1, 2009
Search Continues For Missing Boater
Authorities are continuing their search for a missing man along the Apalachicola River.
Reporter: Vanessa Nguyen
Email Address: vanessa.nguyen@wjhg.com

Search For Missing Boater In Apalachicola River
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Authorities are continuing their search for a missing man along the Apalachicola River.
A fishing trip turned into a nightmare for 29-year-old Mark Hamilton and 28-year-old Jefferie Rector after they were thrown from their boat on Saturday.
Preliminary investigations show the boat hit a wake or current that caused it to spin out of control, injuring Rector.
The investigation has now turned into a recovery search.

Day two of the search for 28-year-old Jefferie Rector started bright and early on Sunday.
Several law enforcement agencies launched boats and patrolled up and down the Apalachicola River without much luck.
"We went and patrolled the area where the operator went into the boat and we ran about a mile or two miles below that looking the area over, to determine if he might have surfaced sometime during the night," says Florida Fish And Wildlife Lieutenant Gary Applewhite.
Around 3pm on Saturday, Rector and 29-year-old Mark Hamilton were heading down the river in a 14-foot aluminum boat when they were thrown overboard near the Chattahoochee landing.
Preliminary investigations show the two men started the trip at Ocheesee landing in Calhoun County and Rector was the operator.
"From what we can gather based on information and interviews that we've had up to this point, we're unsure, unable to determine exactly what caused the two occupants of the boat to exit the boat, into the water."
The boat began spinning in circles, injuring Rector in the process.
A local fisherman saw what happened and rescued Hamilton who did not sustain any serious injuries.
But authorities have not been able to find Rector yet.
Dive team members from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office are using sonar equipment to scan the bottom of the river.
"We have a toefish that we deploy into the water and it sends signals off the bottom. And it translates to our computer screen where we can visibly see what's underwater. We see logs, trees, tires, pretty well anything that's under there," says Lieutenant Mike Hodges.
The equipment has allowed them to check the entire width of the river without actually having to dive in.
"This actually gives us eyes underwater. And we can search 20 times faster. We can search a lot more than we could putting a diver into the water."
Investigators say it could take several days before they recover Rector's body.

Neither one of the men was wearing a life jacket.
Authorities say they will continue their search for Jefferie Rector tomorrow morning.


Latest Comments

Posted by: PowerBoat Owner Location: Louisiana on May 31, 2009 at 11:25 PM

My prayers to this young man's family and for his friend. Did you really have to us a Pro PowerBoat for you picture in the story when the boat was a 14ft jon boat or skiff. Very misleading..
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