Child, father rushes to hospital after near drowning

Image 1 of 13

A father and his boy were rushed to the hospital Thursday afternoon after a near-drowning incident at Lake Lanier, fire officials said.

The father and 10-year-old son were spending the day at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands. Around 2:50 p.m., Hall County Fire Services said the father noticed his son had not resurfaced and went into the lake to find him. Officials said the father also went underwater.

A lifeguard located the boy and started first aid. The father was also located by a lifeguard and pulled from the water.

Both were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The father was listed in critical condition, the boy was later taken to flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in critical condition.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will be investigating the incident.

Their names have not been released.

Emergency officials remind swimmers to “alert, reach, throw, row, go.” Alert lifeguards to a situation if they are on duty, if not, try reach for the victim from a strong foothold, or throw them a rope or a floatation device. If it’s in a lake, rowing out to them to be able to reach and pull them aboard is an option. The last resort should be to go to a victim, but go with a floatation device.