Wear a life jacket to stay safe on Lanier

One of the biggest worries for authorities who patrol Lake Lanier is inexperienced swimmers,especially on busy summer holiday weekends.

Chris Arthur is the chief ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers office in Buford and he said drownings have become all-too-common on Lanier. He urged all swimmers and boaters to wear life jackets this Memorial Day holiday.

"It only takes about 20 seconds for a child to drown and I guess about 60 for an adult," said Arthur. "And it really takes less than a minute to snap on a life jacket and make sure it properly fits."

Three of Lake Lanier's busiest day-use parks have life jacket loaner programs: West Bank Park in Forsyth County and Buford Dam Park and Lanier Park, both in Gwinnett County. Arthur said park visitors can use the life jacket and then return it at the end of the day.