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NEED TO KNOW
A man remains missing, one week after he took his boat out on the Alabama River
James R. Dawkins, 54, was last seen on Jan. 10, and his boat has since been recovered
Police have urged residents not to take part in their own search efforts to find Dawkins, due to potential extreme winter weather conditions
A man remains missing, one week after he took his boat out on the Alabama River.
James R. Dawkins was last seen on his 12-foot boat near Shelton Landing in Autauga County at around 5:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, Jan 10, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said in astatementshared on Facebook.
Dawkins, 54, was "equipped with only a trolling motor at the time," the ALEA said, adding that "no contact has been made with Dawkins since he launched the vessel."
At around 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Dawkins' boat was found dozens of miles away from the original search spot, though he was not on board.
The boat was located south of the Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam by the Selma-Dallas County Rescue Squad, the ALEA said in anupdated social media poston Thursday, Jan. 15.
"The vessel was approximately 92 miles from the initial launch site," said the ALEA.
The organization added: "ALEA Marine Patrol Troopers, along with ALEA's Aviation Unit, are continuing search efforts, which have expanded greatly since the vessel location and recovery."
The ALEA has been assisted by several agencies in searching for Dawkins, including the Elmore County Emergency Management Agency, the Elmore County Sheriff's Office, the Autauga County Sheriff's Office, the Millbrook Police Department and Autauga County Search and Rescue.
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Hale County Sheriff's Office/Facebook
Police have urged residents not to take part in their own search efforts to find Dawkins, due to potential extreme winter weather conditions.
"However, if you are on or near the Alabama River and notice anything unusual, please contact local authorities immediately," said the ALEA.
The ALEA did not respond to PEOPLE's request for further information and an update on Saturday, Jan. 17.
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