A 20-year-old man was found alive in Lake Lanier after friends reported him missing on Monday (July 8). FOX 5 Atlanta report Zachary Rutledge was found by a Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
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20-year-old man found alive after incident at Lake Lanier
Friends of the missing man called police around 8:30 p.m. after losing sight of him while they were swimming. They were unsure whether he was still in the lake or had simply walked home.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Hall County Fire Department conducted a search. Air and water searches were conducted, but no sign of Zachary was found. The next morning, around 9 a.m., Zachary Rutledge called a park patrol officer.
Rutledge reportedly revealed that the previous day, he had swum from the shore to a nearby island. After he returned from his solo adventure, his friends had disappeared. He slept in the park overnight because he did not have a cell phone to contact friends or family.
FOX5 Zachary said he heard helicopters overhead but didn’t know they were looking for him.
Unfortunate disappearances at the lake
Luckily for Zachary, his story had a happy ending. However, there is a constant expansion list about mysterious deaths on the water.
As previously reported by Shade room, Gavrie Alexander Whitlock fell into the lake on September 2, 2023, after he ran off a dock. He never resurfaced and was reported dead. drowningWhitlocks’ body was later found 17 feet below the surface.
In addition, two elderly men have passed away this year. Matthew Mayo passed away after the seat of his fishing boat came undone while he was fishing with his wife. He fell into the water. The 73-year-old man’s body was later recovered by rescue teams.
76 years old Jim Hansard was last seen relaxing on a dock by the infamous lake. His parked golf cart was found, and his shoe was discovered floating in the water, later recovered by a friend. The Department of Natural Resources declared him dead shortly afterward.
RELATED: Second Oldest Man Dies at Lake Lanier as Summer Begins
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