The Morgan County Rescue Squad was called to assist Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad personnel over the weekend when their boat sank after completing a rescue mission, authorities said.
The Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad boat sank after taking on too much water at Cowford Landing in Athens because of inclement weather conditions at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, said Shawn Creel, chief of the Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad. The rescue squad had been helping a stranded boater.
The two members of the Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad onboard, who were wearing life jackets, were not injured, said Danny Kelso, Morgan County Rescue Squad chief.
Kelso said he already was in communication with the Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad about the call it was working.
“The next thing I know, they said they needed us there as soon as possible because they had two members in the water,” Kelso said.
The Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad was able to retrieve the boat themselves, Kelso said, although the Morgan Country Rescue Squad assisted.
“They put it on the trailer and will have to send it for repairs to see if it was salvageable," Kelso said.
He also said he thinks it was just a summertime storm that “came up really quickly,” adding that it's common for small boats to become overwhelmed in stormy waters.
“It’s a lack of boat training,” Creel said, adding that some people aren’t as capable of maneuvering boats in inclement weather.
He said he would not comment further on what he meant because he was not on the boat when it sank. Instead, he called it a “freak accident,” citing weather as a cause as well.
Creel has not said if the boat is salvageable.
The Marine Patrol Trooper division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the incident. An ALEA spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment Monday.
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