LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. – The body of a missing 16-year-old was found Friday morning in Limestone County. Divers were able to use sonar technology to locate his body in the Elk River.
Limestone County sheriff’s deputies said there was a strong possibility that Miguel Alonso would be found in the water. Their first priority was to recover his body as fast as possible and collect any possible evidence.
He was reported missing shortly before midnight on Wednesday, May 27. Officials said he spent the day fishing with a few people. Multiple rescue teams began searching for him Thursday morning. His body was found Friday morning near the bluff where he was last seen.
“At that bluff, it almost immediately drops to about 19 feet down,” said Limestone County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Stephen Young. “That’s the depth he was found at.”
The search started Thursday and involved a number of different agencies. Young said Alonso’s body was found about 150 yards from the boat dock. Young described the bluff as very steep and not a safe location.
“You can’t walk up it from the water,” said Young. “They had to walk around from behind where you first come into that park there. They had to walk all the way around into the woods down steep ravine through some very torturous terrain to get there.”
On Thursday, sheriff’s deputies said they believed Alonso was fishing with two friends. Now they believe he may have fished with four.
“The investigation is still open,” said Young. “We have not ruled out any kind of foul play. We also don’t have any evidence at this time.”
Young said the location of Miguel Alonso’s body would start to give his family some closure. The Limestone County coroner said his autopsy should be available sometime next week.