Man drowns in Black Warrior River

GREENE Co., Ala. (WBRC) - Greene County EMS Director Zac Bolding confirmed a man drowned in the Black Warrior River Sunday.

Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue crews and Greene County EMS crews said the man’s body was recovered from the water in proximity of the A.I. Selden Dam, off Lock 7 Road in Eutaw.

Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue Battalion Chief, Tim Shanahan, said the man’s body was recovered by the Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue-Regional Dive Team members in an area of water approximately 40 feet wide with an approximate depth of 6 feet.

Bolding said initial reports are the man was attempting to cross the water in the same area, with a small group of people, at the time of the incident.

Several agencies in Greene County searched for the victim who went underwater and did not come back up. The man’s identity was not immediately released.

Greene County’s EMS Director confirmed that at 2:10 p.m. on September 5, Greene County EMS was dispatched by Greene County E-911 to “a person possibly drowning.”

One member of the Greene County EMS crew identified a search grid, entered the waters of the slough, and began an immediate search for the missing person.

Officials said there were three people total at the time of the incident.

One person went under and did not resurface. The two other people made it across the slough, however, one of those two people required a flotation device and rescue assistance from an EMS crew member. Both are okay.

In conjunction with Greene County E-911, Greene County EMS requested an air medical unit, specialized water rescue team, and notified the ALEA Marine Patrol Division.

The specialized water recovery efforts were conducted by the Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue Service-Regional Dive Team.