By John Howell
The body of a 56-year-old Hernando man was recovered late Thursday morning after a two-day search on the Sardis Reservoir Upper Lake.

Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby announced the recovery during a press conference at the Sardis Lower Lake Fire Department. He was identified as Robert Alliston.

Darby said that authorities were notified by Sardis Lake Marina personnel about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday that a man who had been using a pontoon boat to work on a disabled jet ski was missing. The report triggered a search and rescue effort that involved personnel of the Corps of Engineers, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,

Fisheries and Parks, volunteer search and rescue teams from Panola, Union and DeSoto Counties along with Panola sheriff’s and emergency management personnel.

“They did a grid search, went over it and over it and over it again,” Darby said of divers who entered waters near the marina Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday.

The search was concentrated between the arm of the marina that stretches toward the weir in the upper end of the Shady Cove and the lake bank.

“There was zero visibility in the water,” the sheriff said. “If you missed it (by) a foot, you missed it. He said the water was about 30 feet deep.

Tracy Williams and Brian Moore of Performance Marine joined searchers Tuesday afternoon to assist Panola Emergency Management Director Daniel Cole in the operation of a Hummingbird Side-Imaging device that scans the lake bottom. However, lake bottom debris left from July, 2011 wind damage left components of the structure submerged.

Cadaver dogs were also used in the search and recovery attempt.

By Thursday, decomposition caused the body to rise to the surface.

“It floated as we were about to dive,” Panola EMA Director Daniel Cole said.
 
Search personnel at the scene transported the body to the nearby Engineers’ Point boat ramp where Panola County Coroner Gracie Grant was waiting to transport it to Jackson for autopsy, Darby said.

“We extend our prayers and sympathy to the family and appreciate all the agencies that came to assist,” Darby said.