Update published Monday 2:00 p.m.
As of Monday morning, eleven boating under the influence arrests were made on Lake Lanier over the Fourth of July weekend.
A final report from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said 14 BUIs occurred in the Gainesville region alongside two boating incidents and four injuries.
One boating incident was reported on Lanier resulting in three injuries.
Across the state 32 total BUI arrests were made.
Update published Sunday 11:30 a.m.
A Dillard Man drowned on July 5 near a boat house on Lake Rabun.
An update from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said Robert Clinkscales, 39 was last seen at around 10:30 p.m. on Friday and the next morning his shoes and phone were found at the entrance of the boathouse on the property.
Georgia game wardens responded to the scene at around 6:45 p.m. on July 6th.
The victim's body was located in 40 to 50 feet of water, about 30 feet from the boathouse.
Rabun County search and rescue personnel and a Towns County Diver recovered the victim at around midnight. The body was turned over to the Rabun County Coroner.
On Lake Lanier, a total of ten boating under the influence arrests have now been made for the Fourth of July weekend as of Sunday morning.
The DNR will continue to update boating statistics on all Georgia waterways through Sunday evening.
Update published Saturday 11:00 a.m.
A total of seven boating under the influence arrests have now been made on Lake Lanier for the Fourth of July weekend as of Saturday morning.
An update provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said after three such arrests were made on July Fourth, four more were made on Friday.
No new boating incidents on the lake have been reported, but there was a report of an incident on Lake Hartwell. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday when a personal watercraft reportedly hit a wake and the driver hit his head on the vehicle's handlebars. He was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Lavonia for treatment of a head laceration.
The DNR will continue to update boating statistics on all Georgia waterways through Sunday evening.
Original story published Friday 12:00 p.m.
Two boating incidents left four total people injured on Lake Lanier during the Fourth of July holiday Thursday.
A report Friday morning from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the first incident happened around 1:00 p.m. when two personal watercraft collided at Buford Dam Park in Gwinnett County. Authorities said at-fault driver in the incident ran on foot and has not been found.
Three people were injured and taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The PWC's were reportedly rentals, and DNR officials said the person who rented the watercraft to the at-fault driver did not follow state regulations and was arrested. The incident remains under investigation.
The second boating incident happened about an hour and a half later at Burton Mill Park near Flowery Branch. Officials said a person jumped from the side of a boat into shallow water and fractured a rib. He taken from the scene to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Also Thursday, three boating under the influence arrests were made on Lake Lanier.
The Georgia DNR will continue to report on boating statistics across the state through Sunday night.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/7/1251284/final-dnr-report-shows-eleven-boating-under-the-influence-arrests-on-lake-lanier-over-holiday-weekend