Search for Missing Woman at Noccalula Falls Enters Third Day
Gadsden, AL — The search for a missing Lincoln woman presumed drowned entered its third day Tuesday, as multiple agencies continue efforts to locate 51-year-old Regina Smith.
Smith was last seen Sunday evening floating on a pool-style float — described by some as a “raft” — in the natural pool below Noccalula Falls. According to her family, she had been speaking with them before drifting out of sight around a bend into the creek area beyond the falls. When her family went to look for her, she was nowhere to be found.
Emergency responders were dispatched and searched into Sunday night and throughout Monday, despite poor weather conditions that eventually forced a temporary pause in operations. The search resumed Monday morning with increased support from neighboring agencies.
Joining the search were units from the Gadsden Fire and Police Departments, the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, the Etowah County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Cherokee County deployed members of its Swift Water Search and Rescue Team, who will join units from Dekalb and St. Clair Counties. A Floyd County K-9 unit was also on scene with bloodhounds. Below the falls, Black Creek presents a difficult environment for rescue operations. Strong currents, eddies formed by submerged rocks, and heavy debris have historically complicated search efforts in the area.
A Gadsden Fire Department spokesperson told WEIS Radio on Monday evening that the primary search would be paused at 7:00 p.m. due to safety concerns, with plans to resume Tuesday morning if no progress had been made. Gadsden Fire would have a few firefighters on the ground on periodic patrols overnight.
Search efforts have included ground crews and aerial support from a Alabama Law Enforcment Agency helicopter seen conducting search patterns over the area on Monday, even as local residents observed Memorial Day. Drones equipped with FLIR technology have also been flown with no success.
WEIS will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. Officials have expressed concern that heavy rainfall expected Tuesday afternoon and evening could further hinder ongoing search operations.
