Search ongoing in Coosa River for missing Gadsden man, vehicle discovered on bridge

Search ongoing in Coosa River for missing Gadsden man, vehicle discovered on bridge

Multiple agencies are currently in the waters of the Coosa River in Gadsden searching for a man missing since midnight Wednesday.

Bryan Jeremiah Stamps was last seen Tuesday in Gadsden. Det. Lt. Scott Lumpkin said Stamps’ vehicle was discovered a few hours later at the apex of the Meighan Bridge in Gadsden in the westbound lanes, with the engine running.

His phone was found inside the vehicle. Lumpkin said friends and family had not describe Stamps as suicidal, and there was no indication that he had jumped from the bridge.

In fact, his vehicle had been found earlier in the week abandoned in the Tuscaloosa Avenue area, reportedly with transmission trouble.

A boat is backed into the Coosa River at Gadsden’s Coosa Landing Sunday, April 9, 2023, as part of a search for a missing man. (William Thornton / [email protected])

But Stamps is still missing. Gadsden Police Chief Lamar Jaggears said boat crews were arriving at Coosa Landing in Gadsden to begin a search this afternoon. However, the river current is too swift to use divers, he said.

Stamps is described as standing 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Boat crews from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Ball Play, Coates Bend, Hokes Bluff, and Etowah County are taking part in the search.