A 20-year-old who was reported missing after swimming in Lake Lanier has been found safe.
According to WSB-TV Atlanta, Zachary Rutledge, a 20-year-old from Winder, Georgia disappeared around 8 PM on Monday. The young man was last seen swimming at Burton Mill Park at Lake Lanier. Luckily, Hall County Sheriff's Deputies reported that Rutledge was found on Tuesday morning, unharmed.
Rutledge had gone swimming Monday with two friends, who called 911 to report his disappearance on Monday. The pair had lost sight of him while swimming and were unsure if he had left the park on foot.
Rutledge did not have a phone on him. Without being able to contact anyone, the young man decided to just sleep in the park. He was found Tuesday after hearing GSP helicopters flying over top of him. Rutledge did not consider the choppers could be part of a rescue team searching for him at the time.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, game wardens, Hall County Fire and Georgia State Patrol Aviation Unit worked together on the search for the missing man.
Once Missing Man Found at Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier's involvement in another report of a missing person will likely surprise nobody. According to TIME, 13 people drowned in Lake Lanier in 2023, which was easily the highest number of drownings in any body of water across Georgia. The lake's controversial history has led many to wonder if it may be haunted.
Lake Lanier is a man-made lake that was built atop the historically Black town of Oscarville. Many residents of Oscarville were once subject to violence and discrimination. Moreover, many old structures, such as cemeteries and school buildings, were not removed before the lake was filled.
Luckily, tragedy was averted this time around at Lake Lanier. Rutledge's rescue was fairly uneventful, all things considered. The young man was even shocked to find out that anybody was searching for him after spending a night in the park.
