Nicholas Pius Facemire has been identified as the man who fell into Lake Lanier Monday morning while fishing.

Authorities originally thought Facemire, 27, had fallen into the water due to a cardiac arrest, but Sgt. Mike Burgamy with the Department of Natural Resources said the man had inhaled water.

While Facemire remained in intensive care Wednesday morning at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Burgamy said the man had taken “a turn for the better” and was improving.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Memorial Day. Burgamy said the man was fishing with his father when the rear of their boat got close to the bridge piling near Lula Bridge.

“He went to push off from the bridge and fell in,” Burgamy said. “When he fell in, he inhaled water and began to struggle.”

Facemire’s father pulled him out of the water. Two women on kayaks, who Burgamy said are nurses at the medical center, provided first aid until more help arrived.