Randy Lee Patrick was 18 years old and an accomplished diver when he lost his life in the depths of Pickwick Lake. For those who have asked why, there have never been any satisfactory answers.
It was only three days into Summer on Tuesday, June 23, 1992, that Patrick and two friends boarded a small boat and made their way to the southern tip of Seven Mile Island. Once there, all three dove into the 15 foot deep water, ostensibly looking for mussels. At around 1:00 p.m., Patrick signaled to his two companions that he was surfacing. According to witnesses in the area, Randy Patrick was approximately 30 feet from the boat when he reached the surface. When the remaining two divers surfaced a short time later, Patrick was not to be found. It was approximately two hours later that the two men sounded the alarm.
Both Colbert and Lauderdale rescue squads began a search that lasted into the darkness, but no sign of the teen diver was found. The search continued on Wednesday as a rescue dog was brought in from Mississippi. It was early on Thursday morning that responders found Patrick's body on the Lauderdale side of the river, still wearing his diving gear and oxygen tank. Colbert's lay coroner Joe Morrison ruled the death accidental.
It wasn't until approximately four weeks later that Randy Patrick's two companions were publicly identified: Former Cherokee police chief Jeffery D. Wilemon and Alabama State Trooper Phillip James Pettus. Neither man was willing to provide the TimesDaily with a statement at that time.
However, Randy's father, brother, and sister did make public statements concerning his drowning. Michael Patrick related that his brother had died on the third anniversary of receiving his diver certification. He also related that Randy had told him he had become afraid to dive, but failed to offer a rationale. Patrick's father Thurman added that his son was always extremely careful; his sister Connie Cottingham related that Patrick had found a civil war era gun in the channel and that the June dive involved more than harvesting mussels.
While the family handed out flyers asking for any witnesses to the events of June 23rd to come forward and retained Florence attorney Bob Hill to represent them, the Alabama Marine Police firmly held to the position that all credible witnesses had been interviewed and the investigation was closed. It has now been three decades since the death of Randy Lee Patrick. The public may never know the exact events of that early Summer day...but God does.
Note: The value of Civil War guns varies depending on condition. A Gatling gun in good condition sold for $93,000.00 in 2019.
