False alarm on Lake Lanier prompts advice from emergency officials

LAKE LANIER ISLANDS - A false alarm on Lake Lanier Saturday afternoon turns out to be a valuable lesson for adults supervising small children.

An 8-year-old girl went missing just before 3:00 p.m. and her parents feared she had drowned. Turns out she had wandered away with another child, according to Hall County Fire Chief David Kimbrell.

"Just that moment that they're [adults] not paying attention or their attention is drawn away from the child and then the child becomes gone," said Kimbrell. "That's what happened at Lake Lanier Islands, Sunset Cove today."

Kimbrell said given the deadly season on Lake Lanier so far, the parents did the right thing by contacting 911 immediately. He pointed out that emergency units from Hall County, from the Department of Natural Resources and from Lake Lanier Islands are on constant patrol. Units from all of those agencies responded to Saturday's emergency call.

Even though the call turned out to be a false alarm, Kimbrell said he would never discourage anyone from making an emergency call, no matter how many responders are called to the scene.

"It's much easier for us to see a smiling mom holding her child and us just arrive down there and see what's going on than it is for us to try to console that parent that has lost a child," said Kimbrell.

So far this summer, nine people have drowned on Lake Lanier. Kimbrell pointed out that even though school is back in session, there is still plenty of warm weather remaining for people to enjoy the lake on weekends. He anticipates the crowds will continue to flock to Lanier. And, he said, that means there is plenty of potential danger remaining, as well.