ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – A search is underway for a missing boater in St. Clair County.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said 64-year-old William R. North, of Bessemer, was serving as a spotter for the Pell City Sail Club with an ongoing race. Officials said North attempted to transition from a sailboat to an unoccupied “jon boat” and fell into the water and did not resurface.

ALEA said a search for North is ongoing, near the Pell City Sail Club on the southern portion of the lake, with the following agencies:

• ALEA Aviation Unit
• ALEA Marine Patrol
• Pell City Police Department
• Pell City Fire Department
• St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office
• Lincoln Special Operations Unit
• New London Fire Department
• Childersburg Rescue Squad
• Munford Rescue Squad

WBRC confirmed Sunday evening that North is the assistant district attorney for Jefferson County’s Bessemer Cutoff.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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An Alabama football commitment from the class of 2027 has shut down his recruitment.

Three-star defensive end Avrian (AJ) Pauley out of McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile revealed his decision to 247Sports on Saturday. Pauley committed to Alabama while in Tuscaloosa for the annual A-Day event in April.

He’s a 6-foot-5, 265 pound lineman that chose the Crimson Tide over a list of finalists including Michigan, Florida State and Ole Miss. Two of those schools were pushing to get Pauley on or back on campus.

Per Brett Greenberg of 247Sports:

“Florida State was set to receive a trip the following weekend (June 5-7) and Michigan was pushing hard to get Pauley on campus the next two weeks (June 12-14, June 19-21). None of those trips took place and now Alabama will be the only program receiving visits before the Early Signing Period in December.”

Pauley is one of three defensive line prospects in Alabama’s 2027 recruiting class, along with three-star EDGE rushers Tyler Younger (Norcross, Georgia) and Jeremiah Beverly (Hillcrest High School, Tuscaloosa), both of whom committed to the Tide this past week. Rivals lists Pauley as the nation’s 69th best defensive end.

Alabama landed its fifth recruit in the past week on Saturday when four-star wide receiver Osani Gayles committed to the Tide over Washington and Stanford. The Crimson Tide now has 13 total commitments in their 2027 recruiting class.

Gayles was the ninth commitment for coach Kalen DeBoer and staff since May 31. Alabama’s 2027 class is No. 34 in Rivals’ updated Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings. 247Sports ranks the Tide’s class No. 49.

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A Pell City man was killed in a two-vessel crash that occurred Thursday on Lake Logan Martin, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

ALEA stated that the crash occurred near the Interstate 20 bridge at around 9:31 a.m. Gary M. Kendrick, 83, was injured when the 1993 Ranger Bass boar he was operating collided head-on with a 2005 Hurricane Pontoon boat.

Kendrick was taken to the UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital, where he died from his injuries. The operator of the Hurricane Pontoon boat was not injured.

The Pell City Police Department and the Lincoln Fire Department both responded to the scene, assisting troopers with ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division.