Drowning in Walton County

[yippie]

Here is the article in today's paper, but I heard on the news today that it was a father and son fishing. They recovered the father's body, but not the son's.

Does anyone know if this is a local family?

Two drowned in Walton County Sunday
Searchers are still trying to locate one victim's body

Robbyn Brooks
Monday March 17th, 2008

Comment on this Story | Read Comments

A dive team will be searching a lake off of TR Miller Road in Walton County Monday morning for the body of a second drowning victim.

The Walton County Sheriff?s Office received a 911 call about a capsized boat in the lake about 5:31 p.m. Sunday. Deputies determined there were two people that had been on the boat.

One body was recovered and a search continued until about 9 p.m. for the second victim. The search was called off because of darkness, but deputies remained at the scene through the night.

The case is under investigation.

More details on the victims and how the boat capsized are expected to be released later today.

 

[gatormom]

Sadly, I heard its was Attorney Alan Ramey & his father.
Gatormom

 

[ShallowsNole]

Yep. Mr. Ramey's body was recovered (that's what we are hearing, anyway). The missing person is reportedly his father, and no word as to whether they found him yet.

Another tragedy - Mike Josey, owner of Josey's Plan Services in Crestview, was killed in a motorcycle accident yesterday afternoon. An elderly lady pulled out in front of him. Mr. Josey grew up in Walton County and used to work for CHELCO. We bought our house plans from him.

It's a sad Monday around here.

 

[Busta Hustle]

sad day indeed...I've worked with alan ramey an several occasions and thought of him as one of walton counties finest.

 

[wrobert]

Yep. Mr. Ramey's body was recovered (that's what we are hearing, anyway). The missing person is reportedly his father, and no word as to whether they found him yet.

Another tragedy - Mike Josey, owner of Josey's Plan Services in Crestview, was killed in a motorcycle accident yesterday afternoon. An elderly lady pulled out in front of him. Mr. Josey grew up in Walton County and used to work for CHELCO. We bought our house plans from him.

It's a sad Monday around here.

Man I am going back to bed.

 

[yippie]

In today's paper:

Walton County attorney and his father die while fishing

By ANDY MEINEN and TOM McLAUGHLIN
Daily News Staff Writers

GLENDALE ? A prominent Walton County attorney and his father died Sunday evening while fishing in a lake north of DeFuniak Springs.
The body of Allan Ramey, 62, was found in a small lake off T.R. Miller Road Sunday evening after his boat capsized, said Capt. Eddie Farris with the Walton County Sheriff?s Office.
The remains of Ramey?s father, Roy, 93, were found Monday afternoon in the lake with the help of a cadaver dog, Farris said.
The cause of death for either man has not been determined, Farris said.
Farris said that a 12-foot John boat that the Rameys were in was recovered Sunday at the lake. It had capsized, but Farris said it is unclear what exactly happened on the lake. The investigation is ongoing.
Professionally, Allan Ramey was as respected as any lawyer in the area.
?He was probably the best attorney in DeFuniak Springs or Walton County,? said Gene Smith, the president of CHELCO electric cooperative.
Smith, whose company has been a Ramey client since 1984, called Ramey ?as ethical and honest an attorney as I?ve known.?
Greg Anchors, chief assistant at the Walton County State Attorney?s Office, said he didn?t face Ramey often in court, but had known the man for 40 years and was well aware of his reputation.
?He was just an exceptionally fine person from everything I ever heard about him,? Anchors said. ?As an attorney, he was a person I could believe. I didn?t need to have something from him in writing. He was just an honorable person.?
Ramey, who practiced law for 37 years in DeFuniak Springs, changed the name of his law firm in 2005 to make it Ramey and Bytell Attorneys. That year, Lori Bytell, an associate in the firm, was made partner.
Bytell said she considered Ramey far more than a senior partner.
?He was a good and real friend of mine,? she said.
?I?ve lost my mentor and my partner, but more than that I have lost a very dear and close friend. Allan has been with me since I began practicing law in Florida. This is probably the worst day of my life. I can?t explain to you what his death means to me.?
The Ramey and Bytell law firm keeps its offices in a building on Circle Drive that Ramey had built in 1987 to replicate the historic structures in that area of DeFuniak Springs.
Bytell and a couple of others employed at the closeknit, five-person firm were at the office Monday. They were notifying clients of Ramey?s death and assuring them that the law firm he?d established had no intention of abandoning them.
Paralegal Elena Lawniczak, who?d worked with Ramey for about two years, said the mood of the office was beyond somber.
?You go from crying to being OK,? she said. ?You try to keep your mind on what needs to be done.?
Bytell said that even as much as she and Lawniczak were suffering, their thoughts were with Ramey?s wife, Dianne, daughter, Jennifer, and relatives.
?As badly as we feel, it can?t compare to what his wife and daughter are feeling,? Bytell said. ?We never expected to hear something like this.?
Allan and Dianne Ramey had been married for 40 years.
Smith said that during his long association with Ramey, his family had become friends with the Ramey family. He said Ramey had a funloving side and a generous spirit.
?Allan was a super kind guy. He had a heart that was so big. Most people didn?t even realize.?
Ramey?s father was in poor health, but the father and son made their fishing trip a weekly ritual.
?If he had to lose his life, he lost it with his dad,? Smith said. ?So he was where he wanted to be.?
The Ramey family is planning a joint service to honor the memories of Allan Ramey and his father.
A visitation service will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Clary-Glenn Funeral Home in DeFuniak Springs.
Funeral is planned for 11 a.m. Friday and will be held at the city?s First Presbyterian Church.
Ramey and Bytell Attorneys will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

 

[seagrovegirl]

In today's paper:

Walton County attorney and his father die while fishing

By ANDY MEINEN and TOM McLAUGHLIN
Daily News Staff Writers

GLENDALE ? A prominent Walton County attorney and his father died Sunday evening while fishing in a lake north of DeFuniak Springs.
The body of Allan Ramey, 62, was found in a small lake off T.R. Miller Road Sunday evening after his boat capsized, said Capt. Eddie Farris with the Walton County Sheriff?s Office.
The remains of Ramey?s father, Roy, 93, were found Monday afternoon in the lake with the help of a cadaver dog, Farris said.
The cause of death for either man has not been determined, Farris said.
Farris said that a 12-foot John boat that the Rameys were in was recovered Sunday at the lake. It had capsized, but Farris said it is unclear what exactly happened on the lake. The investigation is ongoing.
Professionally, Allan Ramey was as respected as any lawyer in the area.
?He was probably the best attorney in DeFuniak Springs or Walton County,? said Gene Smith, the president of CHELCO electric cooperative.
Smith, whose company has been a Ramey client since 1984, called Ramey ?as ethical and honest an attorney as I?ve known.?
Greg Anchors, chief assistant at the Walton County State Attorney?s Office, said he didn?t face Ramey often in court, but had known the man for 40 years and was well aware of his reputation.
?He was just an exceptionally fine person from everything I ever heard about him,? Anchors said. ?As an attorney, he was a person I could believe. I didn?t need to have something from him in writing. He was just an honorable person.?
Ramey, who practiced law for 37 years in DeFuniak Springs, changed the name of his law firm in 2005 to make it Ramey and Bytell Attorneys. That year, Lori Bytell, an associate in the firm, was made partner.
Bytell said she considered Ramey far more than a senior partner.
?He was a good and real friend of mine,? she said.
?I?ve lost my mentor and my partner, but more than that I have lost a very dear and close friend. Allan has been with me since I began practicing law in Florida. This is probably the worst day of my life. I can?t explain to you what his death means to me.?
The Ramey and Bytell law firm keeps its offices in a building on Circle Drive that Ramey had built in 1987 to replicate the historic structures in that area of DeFuniak Springs.
Bytell and a couple of others employed at the closeknit, five-person firm were at the office Monday. They were notifying clients of Ramey?s death and assuring them that the law firm he?d established had no intention of abandoning them.
Paralegal Elena Lawniczak, who?d worked with Ramey for about two years, said the mood of the office was beyond somber.
?You go from crying to being OK,? she said. ?You try to keep your mind on what needs to be done.?
Bytell said that even as much as she and Lawniczak were suffering, their thoughts were with Ramey?s wife, Dianne, daughter, Jennifer, and relatives.
?As badly as we feel, it can?t compare to what his wife and daughter are feeling,? Bytell said. ?We never expected to hear something like this.?
Allan and Dianne Ramey had been married for 40 years.
Smith said that during his long association with Ramey, his family had become friends with the Ramey family. He said Ramey had a funloving side and a generous spirit.
?Allan was a super kind guy. He had a heart that was so big. Most people didn?t even realize.?
Ramey?s father was in poor health, but the father and son made their fishing trip a weekly ritual.
?If he had to lose his life, he lost it with his dad,? Smith said. ?So he was where he wanted to be.?
The Ramey family is planning a joint service to honor the memories of Allan Ramey and his father.
A visitation service will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Clary-Glenn Funeral Home in DeFuniak Springs.
Funeral is planned for 11 a.m. Friday and will be held at the city?s First Presbyterian Church.
Ramey and Bytell Attorneys will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Thank you for the post, Yippie.

 

[Cheering472]

Very sad.