Fatal Fishing Accident in Toombs County
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A man tragically lost his life on Thursday evening, January 23, after he and a friend’s boat overturned into frigid waters during a fishing trip.
Eryc Bobbitt, 33, of Lyons, and Cedric Hilton, 35, of Vidalia were fishing in a pond off of Highway 178 in the New Branch community when the men’s small aluminum boat overturned, throwing them into water estimated to have been around 30 degrees. The men were in the water for an unknown extended amount of time before they were located by witnesses, who called in the incident to Toombs County 911 Dispatch.
When Toombs County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered Bobbitt in the water clinging to the boat. While communicating with Bobbit throughout the rescue, deputies learned that Hilton was also in the boat when it overturned. As one team of rescuers worked to rescue Bobbitt from the waters, another team of first responders worked to locate Hilton. After being unable to find Hilton within several minutes, rescuers realized that Hilton may have drowned, and they altered their search with this information.
Rescuers retrieved Bobbitt and the boat from the pond before treating him on scene for symptoms of severe hypothermia. He was soon transported to Memorial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia by EMS for further treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.
Shortly after Bobbitt went to the hospital, rescuers located Hilton’s body in the pond. The body was evaluated by a second team of medical professionals and Hilton was pronounced dead at the scene.
“According to most cold-water survival charts, a person can only stay in 30-degree water for a short time – around 15-30 minutes – before experiencing severe symptoms of hypothermia and potentially losing consciousness,” Toombs County Sheriff Jordan Kight elaborated on the fatality of the incident.
Kight explained that case had been turned over Toombs County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) took over the case and led the rescue efforts. The drowning investigation has been turned over to the DNR.
He also thanked Georgia DNR Region 4 (Metter), Cedar Crossing Fire Department, Cedar Crossing Dive Team, Toombs County Fire Department, Toombs County EMA, and Toombs-Montgomery EMS for their assistance in the rescue.
