A woman remained on life support Sunday night in a local hospital after failing to resurface while swimming Sunday afternoon in Lake Lanier.

The 24-year-old was one of two people who were part of a family swimming Sunday afternoon in Lake Lanier who were taken to separate hospitals after being pulled from the water by emergency personnel.

The woman, who was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, remained in grave condition Sunday night, said David Kimbrell, Hall County fire chief.

Also, a 6-year-old boy was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, Kimbrell said.

Authorities were called to Van Pugh Park, which is off Gaines Ferry Road in West Hall, at 3:45 p.m. after reports that a woman hadn’t surfaced from swimming.

The family had pulled up to a sandbar in a boat, with family members swimming around the boat, Kimbrell said.

Rescue workers found the 24-year-old 12 minutes later in 8 feet of water and began trying to revive her, the chief said.

In the meantime, a Gwinnett County rescue team that had been helping in the search recovered a 6-year-old boy who "during all the excitement had gone under," Kimbrell said.

"He’s conscious and alert," he said, adding that he wasn’t sure of the relationship between him and the woman.

The sandbar where the boat had stopped is a particularly treacherous spot, the chief said.

"We have quite a few drownings right there," he said. "I don’t know if it drops off steeply — I’m not sure what the reason is."

The July Fourth weekend kept authorities busy with heavy traffic on the roads and at the lake.

Aside from the near drowning of the 24-year-old, only one boating incident with an injury was reported Sunday on Lake Lanier, according to DNR spokesman Rick Lavender. Across the state, 10 boating under the influence, four boating incidents and two injuries were reported on Georgia’s waters, according to Lavender. Sunday’s incidents bring the statewide totals to 33 boating under the influence, 18 boating incidents and 14 injuries. Two people drowned over the holiday weekend — one at Callaway Gardens and one at Stone Mountain.

But there were no other life-threatening incidents reported in the Hall County area.

Emergency officials did spend hours searching for a man who fell into the Chattahoochee River in White County over the weekend, only to learn later that he got out on his own and was safe at a relative’s house.

Members of four different agencies spent all night Saturday searching for Robert Preston, 33, after he fell off a flotation tube and disappeared while out with a group of friends.

White County spokeswoman Ana Newberry said Preston called the county’s emergency 911 center at 7:38 a.m. Sunday to say he was at a relative’s house and was OK.

She said he managed to get out of the river and realized he was close to the relative’s house along Ga. 255 and went there.

"He’s all right and he refused medical attention," Newberry said. "I think he’s maybe a little embarrassed."

About 20 people took part in the search, which also included helicopters and boats. Preston was with a group of five or six people when he disappeared while tubing down the river. They searched for three hours and tried to find him themselves before calling officials.

Newberry said no charges were pending.

Across Georgia, as of 6 p.m. Sunday, 17 people had died in traffic crashes since the July Fourth holiday travel period began at 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the Department of Public Safety.

The department also was reporting 2,308 crashes and 640 injuries. This year’s estimate is 1,874 crashes, 895 injuries and 22 deaths.

The reporting period ended at midnight Sunday.