Just one week before his birthday, James Monroe “J-Roe” Hand, 18, was involved in a single-vessel incident on the evening of July 18. The teen’s body was missing overnight until crews located him in Mobile Bay near Point Clear. However, his story didn't end there. While speaking at his funeral, J-Roe's father shared a story of hope and God's promises.
While searching Mobile Bay, Daphne Search and Rescue deployed an advanced sonar team. They eventually realized they were undergoing a recovery mission instead of the rescue mission they had hoped for. As they searched the bay's floor in a grid pattern, an anomaly appeared on the search screens. That’s when they noticed a dolphin on sonar.
“As we neared the anomaly and began to pass it from a different angle, as many as four dolphins appeared on sonar,” Daphne Search and Rescue revealed. “Within seconds of the appearance of the pod of dolphins, a near-perfect image of a human form began to scroll across our screens.”
The dolphins stayed in the immediate area as crews continued recovery efforts. After the body was located, the dolphins left.
J-Roe’s father, Tom Hand, spoke about the dolphins at his son’s funeral.
“James Monroe was covered with dolphins,” Tom Hand said. “And so, when they put the last sonar in to get in the water to get James Monroe out of the water, they disappeared, never to be seen again. All I can tell you is the Lord answered my prayer.”
Tom Hand said he and his wife, Staci, were able to view J-Roe’s body and said he looked like he was sleeping and that he had no visible injuries. He said he was thankful for God’s grace and for getting the family through the tragedy.
"I will say this: the good Lord answered prayer, after prayer, after prayer," Tom Hand said. "And so, while he was in the mode of saying yes, I had a few more I was going to send up to him. But we were thankful for the opportunity that we had. It will forever change my life."
J-Roe, who had graduated this year from UMS-Wright Preparatory School, was remembered for his “joyful spirit, genuine kindness and unwavering determination.”
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