SC SAR scours Chattooga River for missing tubers

A handful of tubers have yet to return after a weekend excursion went awry according to South Carolina public safety officials.

Scott Krein of Oconee Emergency Services said several tubers are “overdue” and a rescue operation is underway.

“We have seven overdue tubers and are working on a ground search and helicopter to check the river corridor,” Krein said.

However, an official of Oconee Emergency Services says searchers do not believe the overdue party (two adults and five children) of river tubers are in any immediate danger.

Ryan Eubanks says the suspicion is they simply ran out of daylight yesterday and spent the night somewhere inside a five-mile corridor of the Wild and Scenic Chattooga — an area known for no or little cellular service.

The search-and-rescue operation is being based at Mountain Rest.

According to Krein, the concentration of the SAR is believed to be focused on the Earl’s Ford section of the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River.