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By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal
A Lowndes County man accidentally drowned Wednesday afternoon while fishing in the White Hall Area off Henderson Landing Road, according to Deputy Coroner Walter S. Hill.
Sheriff John Williams identified the victim as Frederick Young, 50, of Steep Creek Road in Hope Hull.
Williams said Young was employed by Care Ambulance and that he was a volunteer with the Burkville Volunteer Fire Department.
Lamar Hall, chief of the Burkville Volunteer Fire Department, said Young “was always professional, was always very responsive. He was ready to go whenever we would be called out for any emergency be it fire or medical.”
Hill said the “accidental drowning” occurred at about 2:45 p.m. while the victim fishing a on the river.
Hill said the victim was allegedly fishing on a boat in the river when the boat motor stopped running and the victim, while attempting to restart the motor, fell into the river.
He said, “Apparently, the victim was ejected from the boat due to the boat being engaged in operational gear while he attempted to restart the boat.”
Hill said, “A short time later the victim’s body was discovered alongside an embankment near a fishing dock near the area where the tragic accident occurred.”
He said officers from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office along with Care Ambulance staff and the ARMY Corps Of Engineers assisted in the recovery of the body.
Hill said he pronounced the victim dead at the scene 4:15 p.m.
Hill said based on an investigation and eyewitness reports of the incident, the victim’s death has been determined to be the result of “accidental drowning.”
Hill said Chris West of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office was the lead public safety official and that Bell Funeral Home responded to the scene.