One of the largest tourist attractions on Lake Lanier will not allow swimming in its beach area this summer.
Margaritaville on Lake Lanier Islands in Buford recently announced the new policy, which it claims is for safety reasons.
"As a company, we prioritize the safety of our guests above all else. After careful consideration, we have decided to no longer offer swimming in the lake area," a statement from the resort said. "While we understand that this may be disappointing for some, we believe it is the right decision to maintain a safe environment for all our guests to enjoy."
Resort officials said the beach area will remain open, but a fence has been placed along the waterfront to prevent people from attempting to swim in the lake. The resort still offers kayaking and paddleboarding at its LandShark Landing.
The decision comes one year after a Stone Mountain man drowned in the water at the resort.
The resort's water park will also remain open. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials would not comment on the decision but did say they were aware of the fence's installation.
Margaritaville's full statement is below:
As a company, we prioritize the safety of our guests above all else. After careful consideration, we have decided to no longer offer swimming in the lake area. Lake access is available in a controlled environment via our Aquatic Adventure Wibit Attraction, as well as our kayak and paddleboard rentals at LandShark Landing. While we understand that this may be disappointing for some, we believe it is the right decision to maintain a safe environment for all our guests to enjoy and will allow us to put added focus on other parts of the park to offer a better overall experience for all our water park guests. The beach area will remain open for lounging and relaxing, and we hope you will still take advantage of this space to soak up the sun and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. In addition to that we do have a lot of new exciting things coming to the park this summer season!
