James Crook, 51, David Crook, 28, and Hilbert Bradley, 43, Still Missing
Shelby County firefighters used a sonar device to search for James Crook, his son, David Crook and friend Hilbert Bradley. They have been missing since Tuesday when they went fishing in the area of the Blakeley and Apalachee rivers.
Search teams have recovered life jackets, ice chests and a gas tank from Blakeley and Apalachee rivers, items that friends and family said they recognized. That debris is evidence that the men had an accident in their 12-foot boat Tuesday, authorities have said.
In an accident, the missing men would have had to fight cold water, strong winds and possibly hypothermia, Miller said. Under those conditions, the chances of survival have decreased, he said, but they could still be alive.
(Mobile Register)
Three missing fishermen apparent victims of boating accident
“We’re convinced there has been a boating accident,” said Ken Eslava, of the Daphne Search and Rescue Team.
On Thursday, the North Baldwin Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team searched the Apalachee River with a dog trained to locate human bodies.
Divers also probed the bottom of Blakeley River for possible remains of the boat or the missing men, said Rick Miller, a spokesman for the Alabama Marine Police.
(Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)