Lake Lanier is having an image crisis.

The popular tourist destination, which sees almost 8 million visitors a year, was trending nationally on Twitter after a Friday accident critically injured an 11-year-old boy believed to be related to the entertainer Usher.

The incident came less than a month after a boating accident killed Jake Prince, 9, and his brother Griffin Prince, 13, both of Buford, which resulted in a nine-day search for Griffin’s body and significant attention from Atlanta media.

The Friday incident near Van Pugh Park involved a personal watercraft driven by Jeffrey S. Hubbard, 38, running over an inner tube carrying the boy and a 15-year-old girl. Neither have been identified by authorities, though multiple Atlanta media outlets named the boy as Kyle Glover, son of Usher’s ex-wife, Tameka Foster.

Both children were flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, which was not releasing any information on Monday about their conditions. Authorities on scene Friday said the boy had a head injury and the girl’s injuries were less serious.

“We don’t have any updates at all, past (what happened) Friday night,” DNR spokeswoman Robin Hill said Sunday. “The hospital issued a gag order, and no information was being released to anybody.”

Melissa Cummings, a spokeswoman with the Department of Natural Resources, said Hubbard knew the two children and that alcohol was not a factor in the incident. No charges have been filed but the investigation is ongoing, she added.

Fans and friends were pouring out condolences for Usher on both his Facebook page and on Twitter. Many on Twitter referred to Lanier as a “death trap.”

Numbers compiled by DNR show that five people have died on the lake so far this year, including two drownings and three boating fatalities. That compares with 17 total deaths on the lake in 2011.

Sgt. Lee Brown, who has been working with the DNR on the lake since 2007, said this year doesn’t seem any worse than usual.

But he emphasized that the lake can be safe if boaters pay attention.

“As long as people are out there and they’re abiding by the laws and rules regarding boating, things will be safer,” he said.

He advised that boaters need to pay attention to what’s going on around them and when possible have someone else on the boat acting as a lookout.

When towing a tube, boats must have a wide-angled mirror or another person on the boat to watch the tube. Personal watercraft pulling tubes must have a driver and a lookout.

And boats and personal watercraft should be mindful of the 100-foot law, which mandates that drivers not operate at more than idle speed within 100 feet of a sitting object or a person in the water.

“Those are violations that we’re seeing,” Brown said.

Stacey Dickson, president of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau, said her office works with the DNR and other law enforcement to promote safety on the lake, along with promoting the lake as a tourist destination.

Some of those agencies are supposed to meet this week to discuss how to further their efforts, a meeting that was planned prior to the July Fourth holiday.

“When there’s 8 million people visiting a location like Lake Lanier ... sadly, the odds are against us, and terrible accidents like this are going to happen,” she said.

Some on The Times’ Facebook page also expressed a need for people to follow the rules.

“It’s the responsibility of everyone on the lake to keep their eyes and ears open,” wrote Cheryl Anthony of Gainesville. “Whether they are on a boat, tube, or other personal watercraft. ... It’s also their responsibility to be wearing PFDs.”

Another reader said licenses should be required for boaters; one requested more patrols on the lake so people would follow the current rules.

As for whether the lake is a death trap, readers seem split.

“I have lived around this lake my whole life,” wrote Dana Peppers. “Unfortunately again someone’s life has been ruined.”

Richard Taylor, on the other hand, blamed widespread media coverage of the incidents as the reason many are calling Lanier a death trap.

“It is absolutely not a death trap,” he wrote. “Consider how many people enjoy the lake any given weekend and make it back home safely.”

Dickson said despite the recent attention, she isn’t worried about diminished tourism prospects for the lake.

“The high profile nature of this incident is an opportunity to focus on the increased need for safety and security on all of our waterways,” she said. “It’s a horrible, unfortunate situation to be in, but hopefully it gets people’s attention to realize how important it is to be safe at all times on the water.”

Staff writer Ashley Fielding contributed to this report.