Bainbridge resident drowns in Flint River after jumping from train trestle

Published 9:58 am Wednesday, August 9, 2023

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UPDATE: The body of the individual has been identified as Luther Johnson. Johnson’s body was recovered just before 10:00 AM yesterday morning, with his family having been notified by law enforcement.

UPDATE: The body of the man that jumped from the train trestle yesterday afternoon has been recovered from the Flint River. More updates will be made in regards to any potential criminal charges in this case as they are available.

Original Post:

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Law enforcement have begun searching the Flint River in the hopes of recovering the body of a man that jumped from the train trestle yesterday afternoon.

The incident was broadcast by a local man on Facebook Live, showing the individual jumping from the bridge and briefly swimming several meters up the river, before disappearing under the water and not resurfacing. According to Fire Chief Charlie McCann, law enforcement searched past midnight last night, using both boats as well as an infrared drone, before calling off the search for the evening and resuming this morning. DNR, Bainbridge Public Safety, the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and Decatur County Fire and Rescue are all involved in various aspects of the search and investigation. The individual is presumed dead.

The Post-Searchlight will provide updates on this case as they become available.