A boating accident sent five men into the Tenn-Tom Waterway for more than an hour Saturday.
An emergency call was received shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday night from one of the men on his cell phone. He told rescuers the John boat he and his companions were using to hunt beavers had hit a stump which tore a hole in the boat, causing it to sink.
A rescue team from Lowndes County District 3 Fire Station responded along with a dive team from the Columbus Fire Department. Two rescue boats located the men near Arkansas Landing.
The men had been in the water for close to an hour and a half in the 29-degree night, but all were capable of walking 100 yards to an ambulance after being taken to shore. Four of the men were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. A fifth man who was wearing waders did not need further attention.
The men were treated for hypothermia.
Battalion Chief Martin Andrews of the Columbus Fire Department said District 3 did an excellent job of leading the rescue. Retired CFD Battalion Chief Ricky Graves accompanied the rescue teams to lend his knowledge of the river.
All five of the men in the boat had cell phones, but only one reportedly had service at the time of the accident.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
