Crew rules out Locations in Body Recovery Effort

A recovery crew spent more than six hours Saturday ruling out several locations on the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River for the body of Thomas Hill. “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 until his body is recovered.”  Rabun, White, Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties supported today’s effort, as well as commercial whitewater guides and the U.S. Forest Service. The Long Creek Fire Department continued to serve as the Incident Command Post. The American Red Cross and Sherwin Williams also provided food for the crew. “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.”