City of Albany identifies employee missing since Monday

ALBANY – As the search for an Albany city employee who disappeared into the Flint River stretched into a third day on Wednesday, the effort was limited to an air search due to increasing water levels and currents.

The city identified the worker as Darrious Stephens, 36, an employee with the Public Works Department. 

Stephens and a fellow employee were taking water samples near the Oglethorpe Boulevard bridge on Monday when he fell into the water.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Albany Mayor Bo Dorough said when asked about the search following a Wednesday-morning presentation of Black History Month proclamations.

On Wednesday, the Georgia State Patrol had a helicopter in the air as part of the the search, Albany Public Information Officer Krista Monk said.

“I think they’re focusing on the helicopter today because of the water levels and condition of the river right now,” she said. “Even yesterday the boats were having trouble coming upstream.”

The water level in the Flint along the Oglethorpe Boulevard area had reached 20 feet on Wednesday, up five feet from the previous day, and the current was much stronger, Monk said.

The Albany Fire Department, Albany Police Department and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources also have been engaged in the search effort.

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