Cherokee County man drowns in Chattahoochee River

The body of a 22-year-old Cherokee County man was recovered Sunday from the Chattahoochee River, where authorities say he drowned while trying to swim across the river.

Authorities said Girona L. Pye, of Woodstock, was on an outing with friends on Saturday when the incident happened.

Pye was pulled from about 15 feet of water around 8:30 a.m., Sgt. Mike Barr with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

A Cobb County dive team assisted with the recovery within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Barr said.

Pye was with friends in the Sandy Point area along the river, where the group grilled out and consumed alcohol, Barr said. When Pye and a friend tried to swim across the river to a spot known as Diving Rock, Pye appeared to get tired before going under the water, witnesses told investigators.

"He did not make it to the other side," Barr said Sunday afternoon.

Pye, described as a marginal swimmer, was not wearing a life preserver, Barr said. Pye's girlfriend told rescuers Pye hadn't planned to be in the water before attempting the swim across.

Foul play is not suspected in the drowning death, but alcohol may have been a factor,  officials said.

The incident remains under investigation.

WSBTV