Castleberry man is presumed drowned
The search continued Wednesday to find the body of a Castleberry man who is presumed to have drowned in the Conecuh River near McGowin Bridge in Escambia County.
Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson said his office received a 911 call about 4 or 5 p.m. Monday of a possible drowning at the bridge.
Jackson said sheriff’s officers, along with rescue squads from Escambia and Monroe counties and volunteer firemen from Dixie, Damascus and Roberts were dispatched. Sheriff Jackson said officers with the Alabama Game and Fish as well as officers from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) were deployed to start the rescue effort.
Sheriff Jackson said witnesses said the man, who was in his 60s, swam across the river with another person. Once they reached the other side they started back. The other person came back to shore but witnesses said the man apparently got into stress and went under the water.
Jackson said emergency personnel used sonar, dive teams and began dragging the bottom of the river with no results locating the victim.
“We came back Tuesday but the rain hampered our search efforts,” Sheriff Jackson said.
Sheriff Jackson said teams and volunteers were back on the river Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning but as of press time Wednesday the victim had not been located.
