Men Swim to Safety After Small Boat Capsizes on Deer River
By Dale Hines
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
February 11, 2026
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala.
Two men were forced to abandon their small, 17-foot Sunbird boat after it capsized tossing the men into the chilly waters of Deer River near Mobile Bay on Monday, February 9th, 2026, at around 3:09 p.m.
59-year-old Sean P. Rogers of Theodore and 54-year-old Samuel E. Mendenhall were on board when the vessel began taking on water after it suffered a mechanical failure.
ALEA and several agencies responded to the emergency and stated that the men were able to swim to safety.
The Mobile Fire and Rescue Department and Daphne Search and Rescue assisted troopers with ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division.
ALEA said the recovery of the vessel is underway. The incident remains under investigation.
Copyright 2026 BlueRAMMedia.com All rights reserved.
