4:42 p.m. Saturday, July 16, 2016
Officials are searching Lake Lanier after a boat overturned Friday. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
Story Highlights
Officials are still searching for two missing men after the boat overturned Friday.
Officials have identified two bodies that were recovered after a boat overturned Friday on Lake Lanier, officials said.
The bodies of Melissa Renee McMahan, 45, of Mount Washington, Ky., and Tammy Reece, 44, of Columbia, Ky., were located after an overnight search, officials with the Department of Natural Resources said Saturday.
Two men are still missing, DNR officials said. They have been identified as Arthur Gene McMahan Jr., 46, of Mount Washington, Ky. and Anthony Reece Jr., 44, of Columbia, Ky.
Search teams found the women’s bodies using special tracking equipment that works with limited traffic on the water.
Because of high boat traffic during the day Saturday, officials will not resume using sonar to search for the missing men until the early evening. However, searching the lake surface will continue all day Saturday, DNR spokesman Maj. Stephen Adams said.
The 38-to-40-foot cigarette-type boat was traveling southbound near Cocktail Cove when it overturned just before 4 p.m., officials said. A collision with another boat is not suspected.
Officials with the DNR, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, and the Hall County Fire Department are conducting the search.
The annual Pirates of Lanier Charity Poker Run event at Lake Lanier posted Friday on Facebook about the accident.
The Lanier Partners would like to send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of those involved in an accident on Lake Lanier today.
The accident involved part of our poker run family and we are with heavy hearts tonight.
Our Poker Run which is scheduled for tomorrow will change in format.
We will depart from Buford Dam for a Memorial Run for the members of our Poker Run family that we lost today at 11:30am.
As announced at the Captains Safety Meeting and Briefing this evening, we have determined that every class tomorrow will go no faster than 60mph. We ask you all to stay safe, stay smart, and let's do what we do best - raise money for Georgia's children in need and put on a safe Poker Run like we always do.
As announced at the Captains Safety Meeting and Briefing this evening, we have determined that every class tomorrow will go no faster than 60mph. We ask you all to stay safe, stay smart, and let's do what we do best - raise money for Georgia's children in need and put on a safe Poker Run like we always do.