The lost Sylacauga Head Football Coach has been found safe and sound, which is a sign of light and hope. This good news makes us want to find out more about what happened before and after he went missing and then came back safely. Come along with us as we explore this story, solving the puzzle and celebrating the happy ending.
The Missing Head Football Coach For Sylacauga Was Found Safe
Head football coach at Sylacauga High School Chris Smelley went missing in Florida that same morning. He was found safe on Thursday evening.
Around 8:30 a.m., Smelley went fishing in his blue and black boat in the Gulf of Mexico near Grayton Beach. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office says he was never seen again. The sheriff’s office said that Smelley was found many miles from the coast. He was reportedly in a good mood when he was found.
When the Coast Guard saw him at 7:12 p.m., two miles off Grayton Beach, he was still in his kayak. Someone told a friend to set up a boat to pick up Smelley. While the sheriff’s office and the South Walton Fire District searched the area, jet skis were out on the water.
The neighborhood is happy that Smelley is back safe and sound. In his role as Sylacauga Football Chaplain, Chris Theilacker said, “He is a wonderful person and a great leader in the community.” You can tell he loves what he does because he loves our kids.
Together with a small boat and an NH60 Jayhawk chopper from New Orleans, the U.S. Coast Guard helped with the search. The Bay County Sheriff’s office also sent out a chopper to help with the search.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said that crews were ready to work through the night if needed. The public information officer, Corey Dobridnia, said that even though the water looked quiet, people were having trouble getting back to shore because of the wind.
Smelley was last seen wearing a swimsuit with a patchwork pattern. He didn’t have a phone or a life jacket with him on the trip. The sheriff’s office says Smelley’s trip was only supposed to last an hour.
The sheriff’s office says that Florida Fish and Wildlife also left from the harbor at Destin Pass and is now heading east toward Grayton.
Smelley used to play quarterback for the University of South Carolina. From 2006 to 2008, Steve Spurrier taught him. Besides that, from 2009 to 2010, he played baseball at the University of Alabama. Smelley was born and raised in Tuscaloosa. He is married and has two kids.
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