The sunny, warm weather is making for a perfect weekend on Lake Lanier. That's good news for visitors, but it's a reason for law enforcement to worry.
They know the crowds will be large, and the bigger the crowds, the better chance for someone to get hurt. It's already been a dangerous year on Lanier, according to Mark McKinnon with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
"This year, we have had four drownings and one boating fatality, which in our opinion...any fatality, whether it be a drowning or a boating fatality, is too many," said McKinnon.
The most recent death on the lake occurred Tuesday, when a Snellville man's body was pulled from the lake in the Van Pugh North Park area. Local law enforcement reported Robert St. Louis, 29, swam beyond the designated swimming area in the park. That, said McKinnon, is one of the big dangers with swimming in Lake Lanier. He said many swimmers are unfamiliar with the underwater terrain.
"You can be walking in two or three feet of water and step off a 30-foot ledge underwater and not even realize it, and if you're not a good swimmer - or if you don't swim - that becomes a real problem," McKinnon said.
He said people too often take chances they shouldn't.
"The best thing to do is to stay in the designated swimming areas and don't go outside those barriers of those swimming areas," McKinnon said. "We find that a lot of folks will swim out beyond where the ropes are and it gets quite deep out there. We just believe that especially if you're not a good swimmer, you need to have a life jacket on out there."
McKinnon said it's always good to take precautions. GaDNR has a list of swimming safety tips on its website for swimmers to review before they head to the lake.
He said they continue to push three overall safety tips for water recreation.
"First of all, wear your life jacket. Second of all, obey the navigation rules and [third] - very important - don't drink and boat."
