The search has been scaled back for an Atlanta woman missing in Lake Lanier since July 22.
"We scaled back the search beginning Saturday morning, as we believe we have covered the area as thoroughly as we can with the equipment," said Mark McKinnon, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
McKinnon said in a Tuesday morning email that searchers had been diligent in their attempted recovery of Madeline Sinagra, but the size of the search area and the depth of the lake had made the effort difficult.
"The search area [between Old Federal Park and Port Royale] is approximately 130 square acres and ranges from 65 to 100 feet deep, with standing timber on the bottom," McKinnon said. "During the week, we dropped the sector scan sonar to the bottom almost 300 times, while also utilizing DNR helicopters, side scan sonar, Hall County divers and a cadaver dog."
McKinnon said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also assisted with the search.
Sinagra was last seen the afternoon of Sunday, July 22 when she jumped from a sailboat to take a swim in the lake. The boat sailed away from her and she went under the water as she attempted to get to the vessel.
"We will continue to perform surface searches as part of our patrols several times a day and we hope to bring closure to the family soon," McKinnon said.
