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Elderly Fisherman Found Deceased on Wheeler Lake
16 Aug
Summary
- Body of 76-year-old Randall C. Gibbs recovered on Wheeler Lake.
- His fishing boat was found unoccupied adrift near First Creek.
- Search efforts involved multiple agencies for over 24 hours.
Tragedy struck on Wheeler Lake as the body of 76-year-old Randall C. Gibbs was recovered Saturday afternoon. Gibbs had been reported missing after his fishing boat was discovered unoccupied on Friday.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol troopers found Gibbs' boat adrift near the mouth of First Creek. A comprehensive search and rescue operation was immediately launched, involving multiple agencies including state park rangers, volunteer fire departments, and dive teams. The search continued until Gibbs' body was found approximately 24 hours after his boat was located.
Gibbs was last seen Friday morning. His body was recovered Saturday afternoon near First Creek. ALEA reported that he was not wearing a personal flotation device at the time of his recovery.
