A 71-year-old Georgia man, Kim Gregory Battle, was found dead at the bottom of Lake Lanier on Saturday, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Battle was discovered near Three Sisters Island after he fell from his boat while attempting to retrieve his hat, which had blown off. Emergency crews responded around 3:28 p.m. when Battle failed to resurface. DNR game wardens located his body at a depth of approximately 11 feet using a remotely operated vessel. The Forsyth and Hall County sheriff's offices, fire departments, and dive teams assisted in the search.
It remains unclear if Battle was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. This incident follows the death of 21-year-old Terrell Shelton in the same lake on June 16. Shelton was swimming with friends when he submerged and did not resurface. A bystander attempted to help but could not reach him in time. Authorities recovered Shelton's body in about 14 feet of water later that evening.
Lake Lanier, a man-made lake constructed in the 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has been the site of over 200 fatalities since 1994. The lake's history, including the flooding of burial grounds and structures from the former town of Oscarville, has led to local legends of it being haunted. Between 1994 and 2022, the lake recorded more than 70 boating-related fatalities and 140 drowning deaths. In a single week in September 2023, three people lost their lives in the lake.
Experts and officials suggest that the high number of incidents may be attributed to dangerous underwater conditions. These include submerged structures from the pre-flood era, sudden drop-offs, low visibility, and heavy recreational traffic. "When the lake was constructed, they didn't remove every single structure from the area before flooding it," Dee Gillespie, a professor of U.S. history at the University of North Georgia, explained. "That means if you are swimming, you are more likely to get caught up in something."
DNR Law Enforcement Division Corporal Kevin Goss advised visitors to wear life jackets, especially given the lake's conditions, which can include underwater trees, varying elevations, and significant wakes. "It's a very different lake than a lot of people are used to," Goss said. "It's got a lot of trees, elevation, a lot of wake, and so we always encourage bringing flotation and definitely a life jacket if you're not comfortable with swimming."