Lake Lanier led the state in BUI arrests over the long July 4 holiday weekend, according to a final weekend report from the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The report, released Monday morning, shows eight BUI arrests on Lanier from 12:01 a.m. July 3 until midnight last night. There were 34 in all statewide.
Lanier was also home to three of the six boating incidents (see recap below) reported to DNR over the weekend.
Region 1 – Allatoona Lake – Bartow County – Drowning – At 12:49 p.m. on July 5th, game wardens, along with Bartow County Fire/Rescue, responded to a possible drowning on Allatoona Lake near Glade Marina where a 28-year-old male exited off the back of a ski boat, went under, and did not resurface. A search began immediately with boat-mounted SONAR. Additional personnel and equipment were brought in and the search continued into the night. Just after midnight on July 6th, game wardens located the victim in 60 feet of water with SONAR, and the body was recovered using the Remote Operated Vessel (ROV). The victim, Fidel Ojwang, age 28, of Lilburn, was turned over to the Bartow County Coroner.
Region 2 – Lake Lanier – Hall County – Boating Incident – While patrolling Lake Lanier on July 3rd, game wardens observed Hall County Fire assisting an individual at Mountain View Park. Upon arrival, they learned that a male was operating a 20-foot center console boat with female passenger when they hit a large wake causing the passenger to fall and injure her left leg. She was transported to Gainesville Medical Center for treatment.
Region 2 – Lake Lanier – Dawson County – Boating Incident – At approximately 10:00 p.m. on July 3rd, game wardens responded to a boating incident after the fireworks show near the Athens Boat Club on Lake Lanier in Dawson County. Upon arrival, they observed two individuals in the water in a large debris field. They immediately rescued them from the high vessel traffic area. Other game wardens arrived on scene and checked on the safety of the remaining passengers and began investigating the incident. According to statements from the vessel operator and the occupants, a large wake came over the bow of the pontoon and broke the starboard bow seat compartment and paneling. There were no injuries reported, and it was determined that alcohol was not involved in this incident.
Region 2 – Lake Lanier – Hall County – Boating Incident – At approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 4th, game wardens responded to a boating incident at Margaritaville on Lake Lanier in Hall County. After speaking with the witnesses, they learned that a cabin cruiser hit three boats while attempting to make a docking maneuver at a boat slip. After speaking with the cabin cruiser operator, it was determined that he lost power while making the maneuver causing the incident. The cabin cruiser operator was screened, and alcohol was not a factor.
Region 2 – Lake Nottely – Union County – Boating Incident – At approximately 3:20 p.m. on July 4th, game wardens responded to a boating incident on Lake Nottely in Union County. Upon arrival, they learned that a 16-year-old was operating a PWC that was struck on its starboard side by another PWC with a 17-year-old operator. The younger operator sustained a leg injury and was transported to Northside Hospital in Gainesville.
Region 3 – Lake Sinclair – Baldwin County – Drowning – At approximately 5:15 a.m. on Friday, July 5th, GA DNR game wardens were notified by Putnam County Sheriff’s Office of the possible drowning of a 34-year-old man on Lake Sinclair. Dispatch informed them that at 3:30 a.m. witnesses had heard a person yelling for help from the water, and after a few minutes, they no longer heard the cries for help. Upon arrival at the steel bridge area of the lake, they immediately began a search with side scan SONAR. Just before 1:00 p.m., the game wardens located the victim with SONAR, and his body was recovered in 9 feet of water by the Baldwin County dive team. The victim was identified as 34-year-old David Hoyt Glass.
Region 3 – Lake Sinclair – Putnam County – Drowning – At 7:19 p.m. on July 4th, game wardens responded by vessel to a call regarding an unconscious teenager at Putnam Beach on Lake Sinclair. Witnesses stated that the victim was swimming near the swim barrier at the beach when he went under. Bystanders on scene recovered the victim and started CPR until EMS arrived. The victim was transported to Putnam County General and then airlifted to Atrium Health Navicent Children’s Hospital in Macon where he died at 4:17 on July 5th. The victim was identified as Kayden Weather, age 14, of Eatonton.
Region 4 – Ocmulgee River – Pulaski County – Boating Incident – At approximately 9:30 a.m. on July 4th, game wardens, along with the Pulaski Sheriff’s Office and Pulaski Fire and Rescue, responded to a single boat incident near Sand Hammock Landing on the Ocmulgee River in Pulaski County. Upon arrival, the operator stated that he and his grandfather were traveling upriver when the motor struck an underwater rock causing the motor to rip off the boat. The boat began to take on water, but they were able to make it to the riverbank. Two individuals in another boat were passing and transported the two occupants in the sinking boat safely back to the landing. No injuries were reported.
Region 5 – Private Pond – Worth County – Drowning – At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 3rd, game wardens responded to a drowning in a private pond in Worth County. Upon arrival, they learned that the victim was unloading a tractor near the pond when the tractor flipped off the trailer with him on it. A nearby witness attempted to grab the victim but was unsuccessful. A short time later, the game wardens successfully recovered the victim’s body. He was turned over to the Worth County Coroner. The victim was identified as Leonard Latresse Polk, age 51, of Albany.
Region 6 – St. Mary’s River – Camden County – Boating Incident – On July 3rd, game wardens received a call regarding a boating incident in the St. Mary’s River in Camden County. Camden County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division met with the occupants while Game Wardens were enroute. Upon arrival, the game wardens learned that a personal watercraft (PWC) hit a wave, causing the operator and passenger to hit heads, and ejecting them off the PWC. They were transported Shand’s Hospital in Jacksonville with non-life-threatening injuries.