A 61-year-old man has drowned in Lake Lanier, just minutes into the Memorial Day weekend.
Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks with the Hall County Sheriff's Office said deputies were called to a home on Pine Forest Road off Brown's Bridge Road just after 12 a.m. Saturday.
"When they arrived, they discovered that a 61-year-old male, identified as Michael Thompson, was discovered by a family member floating in the water near his boat dock," Wilbanks said.
According to Wilbanks, Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene. He said the drowning appears accidental.
"We don't have a clear picture of what he was doing down there, but it was his property - his boat dock - so it was not unusual [for him to be there]," Wilbanks said. "There was no obvious sign of trauma or any type of foul play."
Even though it appeared the drowning was accidental, Thompson's body was transported to the medical examiner's office for confirmation of cause of death, according to Wilbanks.
