The body of a boater who vanished when his vessel struck an object in the Mobile River has been recovered, ending a four-day search in northern Mobile County.
According to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, flotilla units and marine police recovered the body of 32-year-old Robert Ellison downstream near the River Delta Marina, roughly 14 miles from where his boat went down. Crews had responded to the river just south of the General Wilson Bridge to carry out the recovery.
How the Accident Unfolded
Sheriff’s officials said Ellison was on the river with his girlfriend and their dog around 1 a.m. on a Thursday when the boat hit something in the water near the Barry Steam Plant, throwing all three into the river. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division had responded to reports of the sunken 14-foot vessel early that morning.
The girlfriend managed to swim to shore and emerged on Alabama Power plant property, where employees assisted her and called emergency responders. Troopers said neither occupant was wearing a personal flotation device, though several were aboard the boat.
Searchers used a sheriff’s office drone to scan both riverbanks and located the sunken boat about a quarter-mile downstream. Rescuers also pulled the couple’s dog from the water and returned it to family members. Poor weather forced crews to suspend the search at points before the recovery was made.
After the Recovery
A GoFundMe campaign was later set up to help Ellison’s family cover funeral expenses.