Three men drowned Sunday at Lake Lanier in two separate incidents, with one including a father and son.
Hall emergency and law officials got a call around 6:22 p.m. at Old Federal Campground Park, where a young adult male fell into the water as he was walking with a group of friends along a sandbar from the beach to a nearby island.
According to Scott Cagle of Hall County Fire and EMS, the group tried to retrieve him but were unsuccessful. Cagle said the victim was underwater for more than an hour before officials located him.
“Resuscitation was not attempted due to down time and no activity indicated on the heart monitor,” Cagle said.
Further information was not available.
Earlier Sunday, a father and son died in Forsyth County after the dad tried to save his son.
Hall County Fire Services and Marine Rescue 1, along with other agencies, were dispatched around 2 p.m. to what’s commonly referred to as Three Sisters Island, around the area of Buoy 13.
It was initially believed the two were on a raft that had turned over, but it was later determined the subjects were “playing with a ball.”
“The ball went into the water and a juvenile went in after it and became distressed,” Cagle said, adding an adult male then went in after the juvenile. They did not resurface.
The man was 51, and his son was 15 according to the Department of Natural Resources. Their names are being withheld pending notification of family.
Both were retrieved; one around 2:34 p.m. and the other at 2:43 p.m. The initial call came in around 2 p.m.
Cagle said both victims were taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Both incidents are being investigated by DNR.
Times reporter Charles Phelps contributed to this report.