Two boaters go overboard and drown within days on same Georgia lake, officials say
A fisherman fell off his boat and drowned days after another man died in a similar incident at the same Georgia lake, authorities said.
The body of Lorenzo Reed, 60, was found in West Point Lake on Tuesday, March 5, according to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities were called around 4:45 p.m. after Reed, from Cobb County, went fishing on March 4 but never returned, deputies said. The 911 caller also said the 60-year-old wasn’t answering his phone.
Deputies found Reed’s truck and boat trailer, then began looking for his boat, according to a news release. They found the vessel “anchored in a boat slip” at Highland Marina, but Reed was still missing.
Investigators said they found his body around 7:30 p.m.
“Though there were no witnesses to what happened to Mr. Reed, investigators believe at some point Mr. Reed fell off his boat and drowned,” the sheriff’s office said.
It’s the second reported death at the lake in less than a week, according to deputies.
On March 2, deputies responded to a possible drowning after an 83-year-old from Carrollton went overboard, they said. The man’s wife and bystanders pulled him from the water and began CPR.
“Unfortunately lifesaving measures were unsuccessful and the victim died on scene,” deputies said.
Troup County is about a 70-mile drive southwest from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published March 7, 2024 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Two boaters go overboard and drown within days on same Georgia lake, officials say."