BUFORD, Ga. — Friends and family are saying goodbye to two boys killed in a boating accident on Lake Lanier.
Griffin and Jake Prince died after an accused drunk boater struck their vessel June 18.
Monday night a memorial was held to honor the boys.
A family member gave Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri a written statement that touches on just how much support and love the family has received since that tragic boat crash.
In their statement, the family talks about the day investigators said a drunk boater hit their pontoon boat and killed 9-year-old Jake and threw 13-year-old Griffin into the water, where divers found his body nine days later.
Since then, the family said thousands of people from the U.S. and 19 other countries have reached out to help with the emotional and financial costs they're facing.
The family said in the statement, "While we would gladly return all the blessings we have received from God since the day of this tragedy to have our two boys back: Yet we know that reunion will be delayed until a future time and place."
At a fundraiser for the family last week, the boys' grandfather talked about the support.
"All of us have had our estimate of humanity and the goodness of people's hearts raised to a much higher level," Gary Hansen said.
Also in the statement, the family thanked the public safety community for their efforts in retrieving Griffin's body from Lake Lanier.
"This was an outstanding example of how a team of professionals can accomplish even the most difficult of assignments, and of how they were motivated, not just by a sense of duty, but of how this was also a work of love, which has helped to bring our beloved Griffin's body home, so he can be honored and buried with his brother," the statement said.
The funeral for the Prince boys will be held on Tuesday at noon in Suwanee.
The criminal investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
Paul Bennett is the man accused of driving the boat that collided with the Prince family's pontoon boat.
Bennett is charged with boating under the influence.
Investigators have not said what other evidence they uncovered near the area where Griffin's body was found.
WSBTV
