Emergency personnel search for Albany city employee who fell into Flint River

ALBANY – A search was mounted on Monday morning for a city of Albany employee who reportedly fell into the Flint River.

Multiple Albany police and firefighters and Dougherty County ambulances converged at the scene near Veterans Park Amphitheater shortly before noon.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources also had been enlisted to search the rain-swollen river downstream.

Albany police Chief Michael Persley relayed the information that the victim was a city worker during an unrelated news conference he was having with reporters.

As of early afternoon, no additional information was available, according to Albany Public Information Officer Krista Monk.

“At the moment it is in the stage of trying to resolve the (search),” she said.

Accounts gathered by The Albany Herald indicate two city employees were taking water samples from the Flint. One said he turned away, and when he turned back, his fellow employee was gone.

Rescue personnel stretched from the Oglethorpe Bridge to the Radium Springs boat ramp in hopes of locating the employee.

Staff Photo: Tara Fletcher