Early Morning Emergency on Lake Guntersville
Rapid target locating increases safety of dive team
In the early hours of Saturday, February 22, 2025, emergency crews responded to a report of a missing person near Highway 79-N in Guntersville, Alabama.
Roosevelt Jones, a 67-year-old man, had been fishing with a friend when he fell into the water and did not resurface. The call came in at 1:41 a.m., prompting an immediate response from Guntersville Fire and Rescue.
Team
Guntersville Fire & Rescue
Location
Lake Guntersville, Alabama
Conditions
Low-Light, Open Water – Near Bridge Structure
“With AquaEye, rescuers can identify victims for the first time within seconds of being submerged underwater. This change in tactics can also have a positive impact on the safety of our dive team. The fewer the dive team members entering the water, the safer our team will be.”
Ryan McGovern
Fire Captain, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office
AquaEye Rapid Deployment
Within minutes, a Guntersville Fire and Rescue boat launched from the ramp near the scene. Equipped with AquaEye—a handheld sonar search device—the team began scanning the area. AquaEye’s ability to quickly detect human bodies underwater made it a critical asset in the low-light, complex environment beneath the bridge.
In less than 30 minutes, AquaEye identified a target near a submerged cement retainer wall under the bridge. The sonar’s real-time scan helped pinpoint the exact location of the victim, allowing divers and recovery personnel to act without delay.
Outcome
Rescue teams recovered Mr. Jones’s body shortly after the AquaEye detection. He was found in the water near the area where he was last seen, just below the bridge where he had been fishing about two feet above the waterline.
Marshall County Coroner Cody Nugent later confirmed the death as an accidental drowning, with no signs of foul play.
AquaEye’s Role in Critical Recovery
AquaEye drastically reduced the search time in this incident. Traditional methods would have required divers to conduct high-risk, time-consuming grid searches in the dark.
Instead, AquaEye’s rapid detection allowed for a safe, efficient, and respectful recovery.
