Authorities report first drowning of 2012 on Lake Hartwell

ANDERSON, S.C. - In the first reported drowning of 2012 on Lake Hartwell, uthorities said a 33-year-old Athens man has drowned over the weekend while on a church outing.

Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown said Elio Segura went under Saturday afternoon at Lake Hartwell while swimming back from a buoy about 60 yards from shore.

Authorities say it took divers about two hours to find Segura's body at the Singing Pines Recreation Area near the South Carolina-Georgia state line.

McCown says lower than normal lake levels mean the water depth at Lake Hartwell increases more rapidly than some swimmers might expect.