Habersham County Coroner Kasey McEntire has identified the man found dead near Lake Russell Beach on Wednesday as Nicholas Patterson of Cornelia.
A park employee found the 21-year-old’s body early Wednesday morning in a picnic area. Although foul play is not suspected, other details are pending further investigation, officials say.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Patterson family at this difficult time,” McEntire says.
Personnel from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and Habersham County Emergency Services responded to the scene around 7:46 a.m. on Jan. 3. Authorities remained on scene for several hours.
McEntire says Patterson’s body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office in Decatur for further examination.
Lake Russell is a 100-acre lake located near Mt. Airy in Habersham County that includes a seasonal grass beach and a campground with 42 sites for tents and RVs.
