Decatur Co. dive team searches for jumper - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Decatur Co. dive team searches for jumper

Posted: Updated:
By Stephen Abel - bio | email

  • More WALB News10 HeadlinesMore News Headlines

  • Saturday, May 25 2013 7:30 AM EDT2013-05-25 11:30:07 GMT
    Albany Engineer K. Bruce Maples, P. E. announced some road closures Thursday morning. Beginning at 6:00 A.M., Saturday, May 25, 2013, the following streets will be closed for the Spring Fest and SB
    Albany Engineer K. Bruce Maples, announced some road closures beginning at 6:00 A.M., Saturday, May 25, 2013, in downtown Albany.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 10:55 PM EDT2013-05-25 02:55:46 GMT
    Not going out of town for Memorial Day? Don't worry, the Albany Panthers want to make sure you have a good weekend as they host their first ever beer fest. You can sample more than 20 types of beer Saturday
    Not going out of town for Memorial Day? Don't worry, the Albany Panthers want to make sure you have a good weekend as they host their first ever beer fest.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 10:50 PM EDT2013-05-25 02:50:57 GMT
    The family of a Miller County woman is mourning tonight after GBI investigators say the 58 year old was murdered by her husband, before he took his own life. Now the family of Barbara Bass is speaking
    The family of a Miller County woman is mourning tonight after GBI investigators say the 58 year old was murdered by her husband, before he took his own life.
    •   

BAINBRIDGE, GA (WALB) - 911 calls came in around seven o'clock last night saying a man jumped from the River Bridge on the Highway 84 Bypass. Decatur County rescue teams searched the nearby waters until dark, but they came up empty handed.

Dive crews were back on the this scene Thursday morning, continuing the search for the unidentified jumper. Officials say they don't know if this was an accident, attempted suicide, or just a prank. "At times we do have people that do somewhat of a daredevil stunt and jump off you know to amuse somebody," said Decatur County Chief Investigator Chip Nix.

Nix says they try to encourage people not to attempt such feats. "Just for the simple fact of us having to come out here and thinking there is a body in the river."

Divers used sonar technology given to them by the Department of Natural Resources. Nix says this equipment is important because they've never dived in this area before. He says along with searching for the jumper they were also looking for evidence from cold Bainbridge Public Safety cases. "They had an armed robbery in which a firearm was used that we believe was the one that was tossed off the bridge here so we're trying to locate it."

Nix says if a missing persons report is not filed, Thursday will be the last day of their search. "If someone does come in a files a missing persons report than we may be back out here tomorrow or through the weekend."

Nix says the jumper could have easily survived the fall and swam to safety, but his department will continue investigating until they know for sure. The Decatur County Sheriff's Office encourages anyone who has any information about the jumper to call them right away.

Copyright 2011 WALB. All rights reserved. Feedback