A 67-year-old Georgia woman was on her way to work at a Chick-fil-A in Fayetteville, GA, around 6 a.m. recently when her car ran off the road. She called her husband and told him where she was, but then she disappeared. Local authorities searched for more than a day and found the woman in the last place they expected: a well.
According to Georgia news outlet WMAZ, Shirley Obert seemed to have gotten out of her car after the wreck and tried walking toward a nearby road. Police discovered her car, which appeared to have swerved and hit a tree, but Obert was nowhere to be found. For more than 24 hours, it seemed like Obert had disappeared into thin air. But after searching with dogs and drones, law enforcement came upon a hole in the ground — an uncovered well — and Obert’s body was inside, still wearing her red Chick-fil-A uniform.
Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman explained what likely happened, “I mean, obviously, she exited the car and then she just basically walked towards Abercrombie Road and walked through some thick underbrush and just, literally a freak accident, encountered a well,” Freeman added, “You know, I’ve seen a lot in my career, but I’ve never seen anything like this.“
Freeman explained that there are many uncovered wells in the area where the accident happened and brush and debris covered the opening over time. That’s why Obert didn’t see it, leading to the tragic accident, Obert said.
In a social media update, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said, “The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has located Mrs. Shirley Obert. It is not the outcome that we were hoping for. She was found deceased at the bottom of a deep well that was surrounded by very thick brush, near where her car was found.”
The statement added, “Mrs. Obert appeared to have been trying to go for help when this incident occurred. This appears to be a tragic accident. Please keep her family and her co-workers in your thoughts and prayers.“
Georgia officials have said what caused Obert’s wreck may never be known: She may have been distracted or swerved to hit an animal. Obert’s family launched a GoFundMe after she was confirmed dead. Mike Obert is her husband’s name, and she had five children, one daughter, and four sons. She was remembered on her GoFundMe page as “a devoted Christian, wife, mother, and friend to many.”
