Body of missing man pulled from Alabama lake

Published 1:37 pm Sunday, August 30, 2020

Divers have recovered the body of an Alabama man missing for six weeks after a boat capsized on Smith Lake north of Birmingham, authorities said.

Dustin New, 26, of Fultondale, hadn’t been seen since July 16. Multiple agencies had been searching for him since then and divers found his body on Saturday.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol Northern District Assistant Commander Lt. Chad Pate the depth of the water, the conditions on the lake bottom and the extreme heat made the search difficult, Al.com reported. The water in the search area was 140 feet (43 meters) deep and there is standing timber and cut timber on the bottom.

Divers pulled New’s body from roughly 90 feet (27 meters) of water in the area where the capsizing was believed to have happened, Pate said.