The Brief
- A 71-year-old Buford man drowned Saturday afternoon in Lake Lanier after falling off his boat.
- Game wardens located Kim Gregory Battle using underwater SONAR technology and recovered his body hours later.
- Witnesses said the victim slipped from his vessel into the water while trying to retrieve a lost hat.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – A 71-year-old Buford man drowned in Lake Lanier Saturday afternoon after slipping from his boat while trying to retrieve a hat.
Lake Lanier boating search
What we know:
Emergency crews responded to Lake Lanier near Three Sisters Island at about 3:28 p.m. Saturday following reports of a drowning. Forsyth and Hall County sheriff’s offices, fire departments and dive teams joined Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens at the scene. First responders used boat-mounted SONAR and additional specialized equipment to search the area.
Witnesses said Kim Gregory Battle was operating his boat when his hat flew off. He stopped the vessel and walked to the back to retrieve it, but slipped and fell into the water without resurfacing. Game wardens spotted Battle in 11 feet of water at about 5:30 p.m. and recovered his body at 5:46 p.m. using a Remote Operated Vessel.
Department of Natural Resources search
What we don’t know:…