A 26-year-old Soldier assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia, died in an off-duty sports, recreation and physical training mishap 8 November 2024 in Richmond Hill, Georgia, at 0224 local. While fishing from a dock, the Soldier jumped into the river to retrieve a loose crab trap. He was last seen submerging underwater. Fellow Soldiers attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful. The Soldiers immediately contacted local authorities and notified their chain of command. Local authorities recovered the Soldier and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of nine Soldiers a year to off-duty sports, recreation and physical training mishaps. This was the first fatal off-duty sports, recreation and physical training mishap of FY25 and above the number of off-duty sports, recreation and physical training fatalities for the same time last year.
Safety tip
Fishing Dock Safety Tips:
- Check the weather conditions. Stormy weather and thunderstorms are extremely dangerous if you’re out on the water but can be just as deadly for someone standing on a dock. If the weather seems rough, reschedule your fishing trip.
- If the weather is appropriate for fishing, let someone close to you know about your fishing plans. Just in case something happens, it will be good for someone to know where you are and when you are expected to return.
- Regardless of your swimming skills, always wear a properly fitted life jacket when you’re on the dock. It can be a lifesaver if you accidentally slip or fall into the water.
- Be aware of unseen water hazards. Natural water bodies like rivers, lakes and oceans have many hidden hazards below the surface of the water that you can’t see such as swift currents, submerged trees, unexpected holes and steep drop-offs to name a few.