A Slate Springs woman died Sunday evening of an apparent drowning in a creek just south of Big Creek.
Coaurtney Leigh Collins, 30, was found by search parties in the bottom of a creek in Pulley Slew approximately five hours after she first went missing.
Sheriff Greg Pollan said Coaurtney and her husband Matthew Collins rode a four wheeler into the slew to retrieve his deer climbing stand. They got stuck in the deep mud and he walked back out to his truck to get some tools.
Collins told authorities he was gone approximately 45 minutes and when he returned he couldn’t find his wife. He contacted some nearby friends and they began a search around 5:30 p.m.
Calhoun County law enforcement was contacted at 8 p.m. and the sheriff’s department was joined by approximately 40 firemen from Big Creek, Sabougla, Calhoun City, Derma and Vardaman in the search.
Pollan said the body was found in the creek around 9:30 p.m. 150-200 yards from where the four wheeler had gotten stuck. Collins’ body has been sent to Jackson for an autopsy.
Pollan said all indications at this time is the cause of death is an accidental drowning. The case remains under investigation.
Collins is the mother of four children, ages one, three, nine and 12.