Search for missing man suspended until Friday

FLOWERY BRANCH - The Hall County Sheriff's Office Dive Team has suspended the search for the drowning victim in Lake Lanier near Aqualand Marina and will not resume until Friday morning in order to give the divers a rest.

The victim is believed to be 46-year-old Broderick Bradford of Ellenwood. He was operating a Jet Ski with a passenger when he overturned; while attempting to get back on the Jet Ski, he disappeared under the water and did not resurface. He was not wearing a life jacket.

The dive team resumed the search Wednesday morning, again using specially trained dogs from the Dekalb County Fire Department in an attempt to narrow the search area for the victim. The search area covers 4-5 acres and witnesses cannot pinpoint the exact location Bradford went under. The water depth averages from 30-70 feet.

The dogs helped to narrow the search area to less than an acre. Divers concentrated their efforts on the narrowed area and were in the water most of the day Wednesday.

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