A man from Fairhope was rescued from the waters near Bayou La Batre – WKRG News 5

BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama (WKRG) – Members of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency say they helped rescue a man from Fairhope in waters near Bayou La Batre on Saturday. A press release said they responded to a boat crash around 3:30 a.m. Saturday afternoon and found a boat belonging to 53-year-old Kevin Olmsted, landed and unoccupied in Portersville Bay. Photos from ALEA show how the boat absorbs water.

They began a search and about four hours later found Olmsted hanging on a canal marker in the inland waterway. Olmsted was transported by air to the University Hospital for signs and symptoms of hypothermia.

The full ALEA announcement is below:

MOBILE COUNTY – A shipwreck with a single ship that occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, sparked a search that led to the rescue of a man from Fairhope. Kevin Olmsted, 53, was driving a Ranger Bay center console that was found grounded and unoccupied in Portersville Bay near Bayou La Bare. Troops from the Alabama Marine Patrol (ALEA) responded immediately in the area and began searching for Olmsted. At approximately 7:30 p.m., ALEA Troopers, assisted by the Good Samaritan, discovered Olmsted, which was hanging on Marker 34 on the Inland Waterway Canal. A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer assisted by first aid as Olmsted was transported back to shore aboard a naval patrol vessel. Once on shore, Olmsted was transported by air to Mobil University Hospital for signs and symptoms of hypothermia.

The U.S. Coast Guard, Alabama Marine Resources, Mobile County Sheriff’s Flotilla, and Daphne’s Search and Rescue Service have assisted the ALEA Maritime Patrol Division in its search and rescue efforts. There is nothing more, as ALEA maritime patrols continue to investigate.