After eight days of searching for a missing 4-year-old boy who disappeared with his father on March 28 in the Chattahoochee River, divers get to use new equipment from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on Thursday in Bibb Pond.
Crews came up empty Wednesday in their search from the air with helicopters and divers in water described as a dangerous area of the Chattahoochee River. The new equipment will be able to get into crevices and other areas to conduct the search, said Battalion Chief Keith Watson of the Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services.
To aid the crews, Georgia Power is going to reduce the flow 2 feet during the search south of Lake Oliver dam and north of the J.R. Allen Parkway bridge. With the new equipment, Watson said divers will be able to scan sections of the pond.
“They go down and scan, the picture goes to a computer and they can look at it,” Watson said . “Hopefully that can help things.”
The new equipment arrives four days after the body of the boy’s father, 27-year-old James Rabon of Bonneau, S.C., was recovered about 12:15 p.m. Sunday when it was spotted from the air by a Georgia Department of Natural Resources helicopter.
Crews remain hopeful about recovering the boy from the river. The new equipment is expected to arrive by 11 a.m. but will be available for only one day unless plans change, said Fire Marshal Ricky Shores.
“Hopefully they get it done in one day,” Watson said. “This is just a big long body of water. We pray to God they find him.”
Watson recalled how the divers were busy last year recovering victims from the river and the fire department would do it for anybody. He said the water is cooler this year and the boy is small, making it more difficult to pinpoint a target.
Divers suspended their search at 7 p.m. Wednesday. They will return at 7 a.m. Thursday, four hours before the new equipment is on the scene.
Ben Wright: 706-571-8576, @bfwright87
This story was originally published April 04, 2018 8:04 PM.