Authorities were continuing their search Monday for a man witnesses on Sunday saw go into the Savannah River downtown and not surface.
The Savannah-Chatham police department’s marine patrol and underwater search and recovery units are using sonar as they search the water for items and areas of interest during the recovery process, said police spokeswoman Eunica Baker. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard are assisting metro police.
Witnesses told police a male in his teens or early 20s was sitting close to the water on River Street’s east end near the Waving Girl statue. A witness heard a splash, then reported seeing the male in the water asking for help, Baker said. Bystanders were unable to get a rope to him before he sank.
A rope attached to a flotation device is located in a box nearby along the riverfront for emergencies.
Divers from Savannah Fire & Emergency Services and the police department spent several hours Sunday in the water searching for the missing person.
Police are asking anyone with information on the identity of the male, who was reported to be black and wearing a white shirt and no shoes, to call 911.
Fire destroys South Bryan County home
Fire destroyed a home on Deer Road, south of Richmond Hill in Bryan County, on Sunday.
Bryan County Emergency Services Chief Freddy Howell said that by the time firefighters arrived, the blaze was intense and involved most of the home.
The fire appears to have started in the living room.
“We think it was from a candle,” Howell said. “The owner of the house lit a candle by the couch. He thinks the candle fell over on the couch and caught it on fire when he got up and went into the bathroom.”
Howell added that the fire marshal had not been called for an investigation.
“We did an investigation and didn’t see anything suspicious,” Howell said. “His story matches what we saw, so we have not asked for an investigation.”
There were no injuries and the house was almost destroyed, Howell said.
“There were two cars in the carport,” Howell said. “He got in one this morning, a Mercedes, and started it up, and the pickup truck right next to it was saved, but we called Red Cross to assist the family with a place to stay and clothes.”
After units from Bryan County and Richmond Hill responded, a tanker was summoned from Liberty County and was used in a water shuttle operation due to the remoteness of the house from the nearest hydrant. A second Bryan County tanker also assisted in shuttling water.
Shortly after firefighters arrived, a portion of the roof burned through and portions of the structure started to collapse, preventing firefighters from accessing the inside of the structure, requiring an exterior-only attack.
Overhaul and mop-up of the scene was an extended operation due to the number of hidden small fires, Howell said.
Overnight roadwork at Ga. 204/King George continues
Overnight lane closures on Ga. 204 at King George Boulevard are scheduled over the next two days.
The Georgia Department of Transportation will close the lanes tonight from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., weather permitting, to enhance visibility of roadway striping in that intersection. The nightly closures will continue through Wednesday night.
Motorists are asked to use extreme caution in the work zone and reduce speeds while traveling in the area as crews are working.
Nighttime roadwork to close Abercorn lanes
Two lanes of Abercorn Street in both directions between Wilshire Boulevard and Largo Drive will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Friday, weather permitting.
The lane closures will be used for concrete operations, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. Motorists should expect delays. Drivers are asked to be cautious when traveling in the work zone and reduce speeds as crews are working.
Compiled by Dash Coleman and Jamie Parker