News
News

UPDATE: Body recovered off Tybee Island; search for another continues

The body of an Atlanta man was recovered off Tybee Island. Another is missing. Both drowned, officials said.
The body of an Atlanta man was recovered off Tybee Island. Another is missing. Both drowned, officials said.
By Raisa Habersham
Aug 15, 2018

The body of one of two drowning victims from Atlanta was recovered off Tybee Island early Wednesday, officials said.

Authorities identified the victims as Montell Newton, 24, and Kiwan Benson, 31, according to multiple reports. Officials have not specified which victim is still missing.

About 7:15 p.m. Monday, officials received a 911 call about two people who were confirmed missing off a south beach sandbar, Tybee Island officials said in a news release.

MORE: Two men missing at sandbar

Multiple agencies, including the Tybee Island Fire Department, Tybee Marine Rescue Squad and the U.S. Coast Guard boat and helicopter rescue teams, searched for the men until roughly 10:30 p.m.

Teams resumed the search Tuesday morning, but suspended recovery efforts that night, officials said.

Officials found one of the victims at 10 a.m. Wednesday and are still searching for the second victim.

In other news:

Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend's Daughter

About the Author

Raisa Habersham is the Intown Atlanta hyperlocal reporter for The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

More Stories

Keep Reading

The SNAP program provided benefits to about 13% of Georgia’s population, 1.4 million people, during the 2024 fiscal year. (Associated Press)

Credit: Sipa USA via AP

Georgia had third-highest SNAP payment error rate in country in 2024

The state’s error rate during fiscal 2024 was exceeded by only Alaska and the District of Columbia

Gwinnett drops charges against Spanish-language reporter in ICE custody

Misdemeanor charges against journalist Mario Guevara have now been dropped in both Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

DISPATCH

In Georgia’s melon mecca, watermelon wizards’ ears are sweetly attuned

In the heart of Georgia's watermelon country, everyone has a trick to tell if a melon is ripe. One way is the sound a melon makes when it is thumped. Or better, patted.

The Latest

Friends, Chyna Bradley (from left), Keyvarious Wilson, Timeshia Alexander, pose in line outside Beyonce's Cowboy Carter concert in Atlanta on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC).

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour pushes fans outside the norm

41m ago

Georgia had third-highest SNAP payment error rate in country in 2024

AJC Peachtree Road Race updates: Keep the momentum going

Featured

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Georgia disability rights advocates fear weakening of U.S. accessibility law

Advocates worry the Department of Energy’s move could be the start of a broader effort by other federal agencies to roll back civil rights rules.

From boycott to ballgame: Baseball’s political All-Star Game saga returns to Georgia

MLB pulled the 2021 All-Star Game from Georgia over the state's voting law, Senate Bill 202. Now it’s back — and Republicans say the return proves they were right all along.

OPINION

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour pushes fans outside the norm

Preparations for the show pushed people out of their comfort zones — into new stores, new communities, a new style of dress, and in some cases, to visit new cities.