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the influence incidents, and 29 injury calls. These figures may change as DNR provides updates later this week.
On Lake Sinclair in Putnam County, one man drowned on July 5 after he fell from a water scooter that was making a turn. The driver of the scooter, who was wearing a flotation device, was rescued by a passing boater, while the passenger went under the water. Just after midnight Sunday, July 6, the passenger’s body was recovered by the Baldwin County Dive Team.
A teenager drowned on the Ocmulgee River in Jasper County on Saturday, July 5. The 15-year-old went under the water just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday and never resurfaced, according to the DNR. Wardens found the teen's body almost three hours later using sonar.
A man died after waterskiing on West Point Lake on Saturday, July 5. The DNR said wardens responded to Wehadkee Creek around 6:45 p.m. Saturday, July 5. The 62-yearold skier had been removed from the water and put on a boat, which took him to Glass Bridge Park. Paramedics performed CPR on the man and took him to Wellstar Hospital in La-Grange, where he later died.
A person drowned in West Point Lake while swimming at Horace King Access. Game wardens responded to the dock just before 9 p.m., July 5. Officials said 21-year-old Marquis Rice went under the water and never came back up. Wardens located the swimmer's body about 10 to 15 feet from the dock an hour and a half later using sonar.
A 39-year-old man also drowned at Lake Rabun. The man was reported missing just a day before his body was found in the lake, according to the DNR.
Boat Explosions
On Friday, July 4, at Lake Lanier in Hall County, seven people, including a 5-year-old, were injured when a 23-foot cabin cruiser being towed in Landshark Cove near Margaritaville exploded. Several of the victims received second and third-degree burns, fire officials said. Four were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital; another received attention at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
The explosion happened around 7 p.m., July 4. The person operating the boat managed to rescue all seven people and brought them to paramedics at Margaritaville, deputies said. People on board suffered second- and third-degree burns, according to the DNR. The cause of the explosion remains unknown. The fire was put out with a portable pump and the help of Gainesville Fire’s Marine Rescue vessel.
Lake Lanier has a deadly reputation as the site of several accidents over the years. Between 1994 and 2022, around 216 people have died through explosions, boating accidents, and drownings.
Another boat explosion was reported in Union County on Lake Nottely. The incident happened on July 4, shortly after a vessel fueled at Cozy Cove Marina. After idling away from the dock, the boat’s engine cut off. When the occupants tried to restart it, the vessel exploded. All seven people on board were transported to the hospital with burns, which officials said ranged in severity. On Friday, July 4, a 19foot boat exploded without warning on the Altamaha River in Wayne County. The vessel was drifting in neutral when it caught fire. A nearby boater rescued all three occupants before the burning boat drifted to the bank and sank. One person suffered minor burns. Other Boating Incidents
In an incident at Lake Oconee on July 4, a large wave washed over the front of a boat, causing its 12 occupants to panic and run to the back of the vessel. Off balance because of the undistributed weight, the boat capsized.
While the rescue was underway, the group noticed a 4-year-old girl was missing. A former lifeguard dove under the boat and rescued the child, who was given CPR and eventually flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Her current condition is unknown.
A 13-year-old girl was struck by a boat’s propeller at Blockhouse Boat Ramp on Lake Allatoona just after 4 p.m. Friday. Wardens said the injury occurred when the girl jumped off a tube and swam to a boat while the motor was engaged. When she reached for the boat's ladder, the propeller hit her leg. Wardens applied a tourniquet to the leg, and the girl was taken to Kennestone Hospital in Cobb County.
Around 4:30 p.m. Friday, wardens found a man they believe was struck by lightning while operating a personal watercraft on Lake Blue Ridge. The 18-yearold was taken to Blue Ridge Medical Center for treatment.
At 6:30 p.m. Friday, wardens responded to Allatoona Landing for an overturned vessel. Officials said the boat capsized after it hit several large wakes. All four people in the boat went into the water; two swam to safety while the other two held onto the boat and personal flotation devices until another boat picked them up. No injuries were reported.
The DNR said wardens responded to reports of a vessel sinking on West Point Lake around 10:20 p.m. Friday in Troup County. Wardens said a boat started to lean while its occupants were watching fireworks on the lake. The group tried to make it back to the boat ramp, but the vessel sank 15 feet from the ramp, sending everyone on board into the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was nearby and picked up all five occupants. No injuries were reported.
A dock, boat and personal watercraft were burned to the waterline after an electrical issue sparked a fire in Hart County. The fire was reported on Lake Hartwell around 1 a.m. Saturday, July 5. No injuries were reported in the fire.
A man is recovering after being injured over the holiday weekend while on an electric hydrofoil surfboard on Lake Oconee. Wardens said the man was riding the efoil around when he fell and cut his head. He was taken to a hospital in Athens for treatment.
Also, during the July Fourth holiday, a sailboat overturned in the St. Andrews Sound at Little Cumberland Island in Camden County. The DNR said when Camden County Marine Units and the National Park Service arrived on the scene, they saw the sailboat washed up on the beach with its two occupants standing beside it. The boat was a total loss.
Traffic Fatalities The Fourth of July weekend has seen several deaths on the roads in Georgia, along with dozens of injuries and hundreds of DUIs, the state Department of Public Safety reports.
In an update Sunday morning, the Department of Public Safety — the state agency that includes Georgia State Patrol — reported six crash deaths, 71 crash injuries and 414 DUIs since 6 p.m. on Thursday night, when the Fourth of July weekend travel period began. These statistics may change as the DPS updates statistics later this week.
There have been 164 crashes reported in all, 26 of them involving a driver under the influence. DPS also said there have been 466 distracted driving and 859 seatbelt citations.
For comparison, there were more crashes, fewer deaths, roughly the same amount of crash injuries and many fewer DUIs across a similar period during the Memorial Day weekend. The July 4 holiday is the deadliest of all American holidays. Combining traffic fatalities, deaths from water-related incidents and fireworks mishaps, statistics show that July 4 holiday deaths are nearing 3,000 annually in the USA. The second highest death rate occurs on July 3.
According to the Georgia State Patrol and the Motor Carrier Compliance Division, the holiday travel period is 102 hours long, beginning on Wednesday, July 3, at 6 p.m. and ending on Sunday, July 7, at 11:59 p.m. For the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the holiday boating period was from Thursday, July 4, starting at 12:01 a.m. through Sunday, July 7, ending at 11:59 p.m.
