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Search resumes for missing hunter on Lake Seminole

By Christian Jennings - bio | email

SEMINOLE COUNTY,  GA (WALB) – A search and recovery operation resumed Monday morning on Lake Seminole for a missing hunter who officials say was pulled into the Jim Woodruff Dam.

Florida Fish and Wildlife vessels are on the water right now. Two more search and rescue teams out of Bay county and Wewahitchka, Florida are on their way to assist with underwater side scan sonars.

Officials this morning say they found some debris from Slappey's equipment, but there is still no sign of him.

Search and rescue teams are searching as close as they can to the dam.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Officials, 34-year-old John Slappey of Albany was duck hunting with his step-brother just above the Jim Woodruff Dam around noon Sunday. Slappey was hunting in the water in a floatation device while step brother went up the lake in a boat. He returned 5 to 10 minutes later, but Slappey was no where to be found.

Workers at the Jim Woodruff Dam said they saw a man, believed to be Slappey, get pulled into the dam. Witnesses said the man went over the spillway gate, re-surfaced twice, but eventually went back underwater and has not been seen since.

Search crews spent Sunday afternoon on the water but were unable to find Slappey. They resumed Monday morning.

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