Updated: Authorities Recover Body of Man in Wheelchair

Updated Thursday, Nov. 10, 4 p.m.

Authorities Wednesday about 4:30 p.m. spotted what they thought to be the body of drowning victim Tommy E. Moore, 68, of Plainfield, IN.  

Use of a remote operated underwater camera confirmed the victim’s location at 9:15 a.m. Thursday. Moore’s body was found underneath the dock at a depth of approximately 68 feet, according to a Georgia Department of Natural Resources press release.

and DNR conservation rangers successfully recovered the body at 1:55 p.m.

"Personnel with [numerous] agencies worked aggressively following the incident to attempt to recover Mr. Moore through a variety of methods, including underwater cameras, multiple dive teams, scanning technology, sonar, vertical drags, daily patrols and more with efforts sometimes hampered by weather and visibility conditions," the press release said. "Obstacles complicating the search include deep water (60 to 80 feet), proximity to the dock (sonar and drag system not able to get underneath the dock due to cables) and construction debris on the lake bottom.

Those agencies included DNR (Wildlife Resources Division and Parks & Historic Sites), Bartow County Emergency Management Agency, Bartow County EMS, Bartow County Dive Team, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Bartow County Fire and Rescue, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Park Marina and the Georgia State Patrol and Cobb County Police dive teams.  Additional assistance was
given by private companies Dive 911 (Acworth), Team Watters Inc.
(Morrow, IL) and Submerged Recovery Inspection Services LLC (Arlington,
WA).

Moore fell into Lake Allatoona at Park Marina on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct 15. The wheelchair-bound man was attending a family reunion, and went into the water while exiting a boat onto a dock.

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 25, 9:30 a.m.

Divers are no longer searching for the 68-year-old man in a wheelchair that fell in Lake Allatoona more than a week ago, according to .

Rescuers are continuing boat searches in the 76- to 106-foot deep water, according to .

Updated Wednesday, Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials say due to the weather and other factors—depth of the water, underwater debris and structures—divers today will not search for the 68-year-old Indiana man who fell into Lake Allatoona at Park Marina on Saturday.

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m.

Divers plan to return to Lake Allatoona this morning to continue the search.

"He has not yet been recovered," Cummings said. "As of a late Monday night, the dive team planned to renew the underwater search this morning for Tommy E. Moore, of Plainfield, IN. Bartow County search and rescue staff are helping in the search."

Original Report

Two dive teams have yet to recover the wheelchair-bound man believed to have drowned Saturday in Lake Allatoona.

Tommy E. Moore, 68, of Plainfield, IN, was attending a family reunion at the privately-owned when, while exiting a boat onto a dock, he and his wheelchair fell into the lake.

"Dive teams attempted several dives on Saturday (recovering the wheelchair during one of those dives) until visibility was affected by nightfall," said Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Melissa Cummings. "Agencies reported early Sunday to begin diving again, assisted by sonar equipment. Dives and attempts at locating the victim continued throughout the day into the evening."

While rescue efforts are expected to continue today, Cummings said obstacles include 60-to-75-foot-deep water; close proximity to a dock, which limits the use of sonar and drag systems; and construction debris in the area.

"Sonar and drag system (are) not able to get underneath the dock due to cables," she added.

In addition to Bartow and dive teams, DNR rangers and local and officials are working to find Moore.

A Bartow County Sheriff's Office deputy who responded to the 911 call reported at least one person attempted to rescue the 300-pound man, but the would-be Good Samaritan was unable to do so and resurfaced.