Missing boater located

More than 20 firefighters, police officers, sheriff's deputies and a game warden spent hours Saturday night and early Sunday morning searching for a woman reported missing on Big Escambia Creek near Flomaton and eventually found the woman unharmed sitting on a sandbar just north of Turtle Point Environmental Center.

Flomaton police were first contacted about 9:45 p.m. Saturday that a woman was missing on the creek.

Capt. Chance Thompson said a group had launched at Magnolia Branch earlier that day with plans to end at the Skippy White South Bridge on Highway 31 near Hardee's.

Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said firemen, police officers and sheriff's deputies gathered at the parking lot at Hurricane Park next to Turtle Point to begin the search.

He said firemen and officers walked to the creek and yelled, but got no response.

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Sheriff's Inv. Brandon Burkett and Adam Johnson, with Alabama Game and Fish, launched a jet propelled boat at the bridge and headed up stream. They found the woman sitting on a creek bank north of Turtle Point.

Thompson said the woman, who was not identified, told him that she got tired of paddling and she got out of the boat also occupied with male and went to the sandbar. The male continued toward the Highway 31 bridge and the group later called for help.

Thompson said people need to be very careful when they take day trips down creeks and rivers in the area.

“This ended with nobody being hurt,” Thompson said. “But it could have been dangerous.”

Thompson said people floating the creek need to have a float plan and let a third party who is not floating know the plan.

“They need to check the weather and make sure they have a fully-charged cell phone,” Thompson said. “Sometimes there may not be any cell service in certain spots so they need to have some kind of sound device like a whistle.”

He also said it's important for people who get stranded on a creek bank or river bank to stay there and not attempt to walk out.