Missing Tubers on Chattahoochee River Found Safe in Cleveland, Multi-Agency Search Effort Ends Successfully

Two individuals who went missing while tubing on the Chattahoochee River in White County have been located and are confirmed safe late Saturday night. The missing tubers sparked a search effort involving multiple agencies, according to official reports. Members of their group initially called police at approximately 7:10 p.m. after a 45-minute wait yielded no sign of the pair, as per the details provided by FOX 5 Atlanta.

Found a short time after the search began, some of the tubers' personal items were discovered on the riverbank, triggering a wider search effort which included help from Habersham County authorities, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the Georgia State Patrol's Aviation Unit. In an effort to locate the missing individuals, Baldwin Police and White County Fire Services were also engaged, the latter agency making a call for swiftwater rescue personnel, as reported by AccessWDUN.

Resolution came when family members discovered the two at a house in Cleveland around 9:15 p.m., approximately two hours after the search commenced. Cleveland police were able to respond to the house and verify the safety of the individuals. The circumstances of their unexpected detour from the river to the house remains unclear, as neither of the news sources disclosed how the transition occurred.

While the search was in full swing, Wildwood Outfitters provided notable aid, despite the fact that the missing were not clients. "Though the missing individuals were not customers of Wildwood Outfitters, the company’s guides played an essential role in search efforts and assisting first responders," White County Public Safety acknowledged in a statement obtained by AccessWDUN. The outfitter also made their facility available to serve as the Incident Command Post. Additionally, Hall County Fire Rescue and Gainesville Fire Department were standing by during the operations.

Both outlets report the gratitude of the White County Public Safety for the community's support and the collaboration of the various agencies involved.