Authorities have recovered the remains of a southeast Georgia man who went missing last week in Tallulah Falls. The body of 36-year-old William Woodward of Lyons was found Thursday beneath the rim of the Gorge, according to Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols.
Woodward was first reported missing on Aug. 16 to the Tallulah Falls Police Department. He was with a friend, Mitchell Morgan, who was found alive two days later near Tugalo Dam.
Search for lost cellphone ends in tragedy
Family members say Woodward went to visit his brother who’s in hospice care for his birthday on Aug. 14. He stopped by Tallulah Gorge on his way and lost his phone. His cousins, Christine and Tony Crecelius of Dacula, told WXIA that same night Woodward went back to the falls where they believe he lost his phone.
His friend Morgan Mitchell was with him. “Mitchell dropped him off he didn’t want to go back into the woods,” Christine told the station.
Woodward’s family believes he slipped into the gorge in the dark.
“…he went back that night to look for it (his cellphone) and never made it out.” – Christine Crecelius, Go Fund Me
Personnel from nearly two dozen agencies participated in the search.
“Since (he was) reported missing, local law enforcement along with Rabun County Search and Rescue and multiple other agencies aggressively continued to search the State Park Property that consists of 2,739 acres, and other private properties adjoining the state park,” Nichols said in a statement Friday.
Woodward’s body has been turned over to the Rabun County coroner. It will be sent to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Decatur for an autopsy.
Grief and gratitude
As news of Woodward’s passing spread on social media Thursday, people expressed grief over his loss and gratitude to those who found him.
Woodward leaves behind a wife and daughters. The family has set up a Go Fund Me account to help his family pay for funeral expenses.
Habersham County Emergency Services, Search and Rescue, Tallulah Falls Police, and Lee Arrendale State Prison were among the many agencies that assisted in the search. Sheriff Nichols expressed his thanks to all of them.
Other agencies and organizations involved in the search include Athens Clarke County, Gilmer County EMA/Fire, Oconee County EMA/Fire/CERT, Walton County Fire, Dawson County Fire, Banks County Fire, Whitfield County Fire, Hall County Fire, Stephens County Search and Rescue, Central Georgia K-9, Alpha Dog K-9, American Red Cross, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Aviation, Georgia State Patrol Aviation, GBI, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and Georgia Search and Rescue.
