Boy, 8, drowns in Altamaha river during family outing

HAZLEHURST - The body of an 8-year-old boy was recovered Monday in the Altamaha River, about three miles downstream from where he went under during a family outing. <br> <br> Alan Llanos was found floating in the river at 4:45 p.m., said James Dunn, head of the Jeff Davis County Emergency Management Agency. He went under about noon Saturday. <br> <br> Emergency personnel and volunteers from Jeff Davis, Appling, Toombs, Montgomery and Tattnall counties assisted in the search. Montgomery County Correctional Institute also helped. <br> <br> Dunn said the boy&#39;s family were at the Uvalda landing between Uvalda and Hazlehurst. None of the family knew how to swim, officials said. <br> <br> ``The little boy&#39;s ball went into the river, and he wanted to go after it,&#39;&#39; Dunn said. ``The water&#39;s not very swift, but it&#39;s apparently swift enough.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> His father and brother tried to reach him but couldn&#39;t. <br> <br> The last drowning in Jeff Davis County occurred in the same area about a year ago, Dunn said. <br> <br> The boy&#39;s family was visiting from Willacoochee, a small town 17 miles southwest of Douglas. <br> <br> ``They said they had heard about (the area) and decided to come up and see it,&#39;&#39; Dunn said.