Police Search for Missing Teen Along Yellow River

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A 14-year-old is still missing in Gwinnett County, after a weekend of searching along the Yellow River found no trace of him. 

On Friday, officers were informed of a missing runaway teen. According to his friends, Jaheem McGhee went missing sometime Thursday. The friends did not report he was missing until near midnight on Friday.

McGhee is 5’5” and weighs 120 lbs. 

McGhee's friends informed officers they were attempting to cross the Yellow River in a wooded section near Bending River Trail and Riverside Drive in Lilburn. They were attempting to cross the river in pairs and the three friends made it across but they said McGhee did not. They told police he was last seen being swept away down river.

Officers launched a search Friday night and into the early morning hours of Saturday. Gwinnett Police K-9 and a police helicopter were deployed to search for the missing teen.  The search was suspended early Saturday morning (in darkness) and resumed later Saturday morning (in daylight). 

Numerous officers participated in the search and a cadaver dog was also utilized.  The cadaver dog did alert to an area of interest along a section of the river that was south of Highway 78.

Sunday morning, the Hall County Dive Team responded to the area the cadaver dog alerted to.  Divers went into the water but did not locate anything.

Investigators are now evaluating their next step in the search effort.