VIDEO: Joint Effort Makes for Speedy Recovery

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – The search is over for the woman who disappeared in the Aberdeen Lock and Dam Tuesday evening.

She has been identified as 54 year-old Lisa Merit of Amory, MS.

The search and recovery was not made by Monroe County, alone.

Four cities, the county sheriff’s department, and state law enforcement put their training and experience to the test at the lock and dam in Aberdeen.

“A very tragic day, but it’s also a day that, you know, the family will have some closure,” said Monroe County Sheriff, Cecil Cantrell.

The call that came in around 5:15 Tuesday afternoon reported a potential missing person from a boat.

Sheriff Cantrell says Lisa Merit apparently jumped in to swim without a life jacket.

“Any type of water, you’ve got swift moving water. People don’t understand the power of water. The water is very swift. With the lock chambers, you have a lot of undertow coming on, so it’s a very dangerous situation,” said Monroe County EMA Director, Bunky Goza.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and Rescue Team were dispatched to the scene.

It didn’t take long for backup to arrive, and the list on who came to help goes on.

“This was a very coordinated effort among Monroe County Search and Rescue, Columbus Fire and Rescue…” said Goza.

“…our game and fish, of course Monroe county sheriff’s department, all of our deputies…” continued Cantrell.

“…as well as Army Corp of Engineers. We used a combination of side-scan sonar, available on our boats. We were using divers. A K-9 unit also came…” said Goza

Recovery workers found Merit Wednesday morning, around 10:30.

“This is not a one-man-show; this is a unit effort by a lot of people and a lot of resources. It makes you proud that you can get this many people and resources in such a timely manner,” said Cantrell.

The Amory Fire Department, Aberdeen Fire Department, and Aberdeen Police Department were also part of the recovery effort.