The U.S. Forest Services says Thomas Patrick Hill of Florida fell from a commercial whitewater raft and apparently became trapped in a rapid this week. The rafting company notified Oconee County (S.C.) 9-1-1 of the incident around 4:40 p.m. Wednesday.
Rabun County, Oconee County, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the USFS were called to the scene and worked until about 10 p.m. Wednesday, but were unable to locate Hill.
The search resumed Thursday morning, but searching was limited to the rocks and riverbanks due to high river levels.
The full recovery effort began Friday morning, and has continued each day.
On Sunday, a recovery crew spent more than six hours ruling out several locations along the river.
"We searched several parts of the river today with a dive team, side-scan sonar, and an underwater camera without finding Mr. Hill's body," said Incident Commander Keith Wilbanks. "As a result, we've been able to rule those areas out. We'll continue operations again [Monday] at 7 a.m."
Hill is believed to have fallen from the raft in roughly the same location as a similar incident in July 2012.
USFS officials say proper safety procedures were followed and that Hill was wearing a personal safety device and a helmet at the time of the incident.
The Chattooga Wild and Scenic River is located along the border of Rabun County and South Carolina.
Crews from a variety of agencies have participated during the search thus far, including those listed previous, as well as those from Anderson County and Pickens County in South Carolina, and from Georgia Search and Rescue.
"The operations are very technical and detailed," said Wilbanks. "Unfortunately, the river is unpredictable and currents can shift from day to day. But we're dedicated to this effort to find and recover Mr. Hill's body and return him to his family."
Watch for updates on this story.
Crew members equip a raft before paddling down to Sockem Dog Rapid on Saturday.
Responders discuss the day
Oconee County Director of Emergency Management Scott Krein and U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Mike Crane discuss today
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