Authorities have identified Michael U. Abrams Sr., 49, of Decatur, as the man who drowned Saturday in a small cove of Lake Lanier, across from Holiday Marina in South Hall.

Three men from the Atlanta area were fishing off the shore when Abrams decided to go for a swim.

The man swam about 20 yards from the shore before he became distressed and yelled for help, said Hall County Fire Services Capt. Scott Cagle.

Another man swam out to help him but was unsuccessful. The victim went under and did not resurface.

Emergency workers received a call about the incident shortly after 12:15 p.m.

The body was pulled from the lake at about 1:40 p.m.

It took members of the Hall County Fire Marine Rescue Team about 45 minutes to recover the drowning victim, who was in waters thick with vegetation about 12 feet deep, Cagle said.

There have been four drownings and three boating fatalities on Lake Lanier this year, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Four people drowned in the lake last weekend, although two of the deaths were listed as boating fatalities because the men jumped from a pontoon boat, officials said.