A family camping trip in a Georgia state park ended in tragedy last weekend when a 16-year-old's body was found in a lake. The teen and his family were camping in the park when he decided to go fishing, according to authorities.
Chattooga County deputies and fire crews received a report of a possible drowning in James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, reports Atlanta local news WSB-TV2. Another family had spotted the body in the water from a trail and called 911.
"He was fishing in an area that had a steep bank," county sheriff Mark A. Schrader said in a statement. "It appears that he may have had a medical episode and fell into the water."
The teen was later identified as Corbin Thornton of St. Clair County, Alabama. "We believe that Corbin may have had a seizure and fell face first into the water and drowned before anyone could get to him," Sunny Thornton, the boy's stepmother, told local news outlet WVTM13. "I don't want people thinking that the park was at fault or that he wasn't capable of fishing alone."
St. Clair County High School, where Corbin was a freshman, posted on its Facebook page: "We are saddened by the loss of one of our students over this past weekend. Please know that we will have support services available to students this week as we navigate this terrible path." The school asked for prayers for the Thornton family and their friends during this time.
"He loved everyone," his stepmother said. "He didn't have a mean bone in his body, he was truly a beautiful soul. He could always be found hanging out with his sister, Nevaeh; they were best of friends."
James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest and has 77,000 acres of lakes, trails, and waterfalls. It's open year-round for camping, hiking, and fishing.
