The GBI will perform an autopsy on the body of a Canton woman pulled from a northeast Georgia river on Wednesday.
34-year-old Belinda Butterfield was found submerged in the Chestatee River. She reportedly was last seen early Monday swimming in Tesnatee Creek in White County. The creek flows into the Chestatee.
The discovery of her body brings to a tragic end a two-day long search for the missing woman. State and local authorities conducted ground and aerial searches hoping to find Butterfield alive. A man who saw news coverage of the search decided to look for Butterfield. He discovered her submerged body around 10:30 a.m. and contacted authorities.
“Upon arrival it was determined that a swift water retrieval would be needed to be done by the fire department,” stated Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard in a press release.
The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, Lumpkin County Fire/EMS, White County Sheriff’s Office and the GA Dept of Natural Resources assisted in search and recovery operations.
