DNR: 2 drown, several hurt in jet ski accidents over Memorial Day weekend

Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens are patrolling the state's waterways this Memorial Day weekend trying to keep boaters and beachgoers safe. (Source: Georgia DNR safety video)

Memorial Day beach fun turned deadly on the Georgia coast after a man drowned at St. Simon’s Island on Sunday.

According to Glynn County Fire Rescue, a lifeguard responded to calls of a man in distress at Massengale Beach. The lifeguard removed the unconscious 33-year-old from the water and began administering CPR. Officials say that Paramedics transported the patient to a local hospital in Brunswick but could not revive him.

Authorities sent the man’s body to the crime lab for an autopsy to rule out any medical issues, says Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division Public Affairs Officer Mark McKinnon.

Authorities are also investigating a reported drowning in a private pond in Muscogee County. The body was pulled from the pond Monday afternoon, May 27. McKinnon says the body will be sent to the crime lab to determine the time and cause of death.

Jet ski crash on Lake Lanier

The St. Simon’s drowning is the only water-related death reported on the state’s waterways so far this long holiday weekend.

A boater on Lake Lanier was injured Sunday evening, May 26, when two jet skis collided. The collision occurred around 6 p.m. at Lanier Park in Gwinnett County.

McKinnon says one of the operators suffered minor abrasions to his leg but refused medical treatment at the scene.

On Monday, game wardens received a report of a man falling off a jet ski at Lake Lanier. According to McKinnon, a passing boat stopped to pick him up, and as he was climbing into the boat, he cut his foot.

No serious injuries were reported on any of Northeast Georgia’s major lakes and rivers.

Game wardens issued 29 BUIs over the Memorial Day weekend, including 12 on Lake Lanier and 2 on Lake Hartwell. The holiday reporting period began on Saturday, May 25, and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 27.

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