Body found in Lake Hartwell months after reported drowning
HART COUNTY, Ga. - A body has been recovered from Lake Hartwell nearly two months after a person disappeared in a suspected drowning, but authorities have not yet confirmed the person's identity.
What we know:
The Hart County Sheriff's Office said Bruce's Legacy Search and Rescue Team notified investigators shortly after 9 p.m. Aug. 15, that it had located a body in approximately 88 feet of water.
The discovery was made in the same area where search crews had been looking for a person who went missing during a June 20 incident on Lake Hartwell near the Mega Ramp.
The body was recovered from the lake and turned over to the Hart County Coroner's Office for identification.
As of Monday, authorities had not announced a positive identification or confirmed that the person recovered was the missing drowning victim.
The discovery follows an extensive search that involved multiple agencies and specialized underwater equipment.
The Hart County Sheriff's Office, Hart County Emergency Management Agency, Elbert County Emergency Management Agency and Georgia Department of Natural Resources participated in the search.
Crews used remotely operated underwater vehicles to inspect areas below the surface. Georgia DNR also deployed sector scan sonar, while search boats used mounted sonar equipment in an effort to locate the missing person.
The sheriff's office thanked Bruce's Legacy Search and Rescue Team, Mitchell's Light, Deep Adventures and the other teams and individuals who assisted with the search.
What's next:
Additional information is expected once the Hart County Coroner's Office completes the identification process.