Sheriff’s Office gives information on drowning

According to Sheriff Mark Melton, on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at approximately 11:28 a.m., the Appling County Sheriff’s Office responded to Carter’s Bight Landing in reference to a possible drowning. The initial information received was that a 50-year-old male went over board from his vessel and did not resurface.
After further investigation it was determined that the subject was attempting to swim to his vessel after launching it from the landing, he then went under and did not resurface. Once on scene, the area was secured and search efforts began. Search teams from multiple agencies worked continuously until the body of Christopher Michael Peck was recovered at 11:15 p.m. that night. The agencies involved included the Appling County Sheriff’s Office, Appling Fire and Rescue, Appling EMA, Appling EMS, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office, Toombs County Dive Team, Appling County Coroner’s Office, and the City of Baxley Public Works.
Sheriff Melton would like to thank all the agencies involved and the citizens who provided food, water and assistance during the search. Without the combined efforts of so many, we would not have been able to bring this to a close as quickly as we did.