HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Hall County’s Fire and Rescue Marine Team is urging people going into Lake Lanier and other waterways this summer to wear a life vest.
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The warning comes after a 60-year-old man drowned near Shoal Creek Campground Thursday afternoon.
He is among the five drowning deaths on Georgia lakes in recent days.
“A lot of times when we see a drowning on Lake Lanier, they’re often off of shorelines. Sometimes it can be off the side of a boat further out in the water. One hundred percent of the time, they’re not wearing a life vest,” said Hall County Fire Rescue representative Kimberly Ledsinger.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan got a behind-the-scenes look as Hall County Fire Rescue Marine Team trained for water rescues and recovery on Lake Lanier Friday.
“This is what we wear on our backs. It carries it all, air tanks, regulators. We are trained to do sixty feet, but we do thirty feet. Then our ROV will go to sixty feet,” said Hall County Fire Rescue Diver Chris Hull.
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The ROV, or remotely operated vehicle, is equipped with cameras and one or more robotic claws that can lift a drowning victim to the surface. Hull says doing rescue dives can be challenging.
“Most of the dangers are going to be entanglements, low visibility and then it’s just your typical equipment failure,” said Hull.
First responders say even young athletic people are at risk of drowning. It can be a result of a medical crisis, a cramp or a seizure.
The victim may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“It really comes down to simple rules to follow. Wear a life vest; don’t drink and swim. It’s just basic stuff. Every single park on Lake Lanier has a loaner life vest station,” said Ledsinger.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources identified the drowning victim from Thursday as Glenn Cunningham from Buford.
Georgia waterways see approximately 50 to 60 drownings annually, alongside 15 to 20 boating-related fatalities.
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