Boy rescued from Gulf not from Butler County
Published 7:35 pm Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Widespread reports that a 16-year-old Butler County boy was airlifted to the University of South Alabama Medical Center after being pulled from the water near the Gulf State Park pier in Gulf Shores on Wednesday were inaccurate.
Gulf Shores Police Department Sgt. Jason Woodruff confirmed that the boy, originally reported as being from Butler County, is in fact from Butler, Ala., in Choctaw County.
According to a Gulf Shores Police Department, officers were dispatched to assist the Gulf Shores Fire Department with a swimmer in distress approximately 100 yards south of the beach in the 300 block of East Beach Boulevard. Authorities pulled the boy, who was caught in a rip current, from the water between the pier and the San Carlos Condominiums at approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Gulf Shores officials said that red flags warned of dangerous surf conditions.
“The red flags were flying and just because it doesn’t look super rough out there doesn’t mean that the currents that are underneath that can’t be seen aren’t dangerous,” said Grant Brown, City of Gulf Shores spokesperson. “That’s something people need to know. If you see the red flags don’t go in the water or stay really close to shore.”
An hour after the 16 year old was rescued from the water, a 14-year-old boy was pulled from the Gulf near the beach pavilion at Gulf State Park. Both boys were were unresponsive at the time they were pulled from the water, and were both taken to South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. The 16 year old was later airlifted to USA Medical Center where at last report he was listed in critical condition.
The 14 year old was pronounced dead at approximately 5 p.m., according to officials with South Baldwin Regional Medical Center.
The names of the boys are not being released due to their age.