Deputies: 2 safe after overnight emergency in Towaliga River
One person was pulled from the river overnight, and a second was found safe hours later at a nearby gas station, deputies say.
MONROE COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Deputies rescued two people after a late-night river emergency near the Towaliga River in Monroe County, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
According to an email from sheriff’s office spokesperson Anna Watkins, around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to a call about someone yelling for help near Mayfield Road. A white Chevrolet SUV was found parked on the bridge, and the driver, Shannon Naulta, told deputies he had been floating the river with two friends.
Naulta told deputies he had exited the river because it got dark. He said one friend, Ashley Clark, was in a pink innertube and another, Darren Wallace, was in a green kayak, according to the sheriff’s office news release.
Emergency crews and Georgia State Patrol’s aviation unit were contacted. While waiting for the helicopter, deputies launched a drone and located what appeared to be an innertube. Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, deputies pulled Clark safely from the water.
Deputies continued trying to find Wallace, but Georgia State Patrol’s helicopter confirmed no one remained in the river. The search was called off at that time.
Just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a report of a suspicious person near the High Falls Mini Mart. They confirmed the person was Wallace, who was safe and in good health.
“The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Monroe County Emergency Services and the Georgia State Patrol, for their rapid response, which ensured a safe outcome for all individuals involved,” the email said.
