2 drown, others injured during July 4th holiday weekend boating incidents across GA

GEORGIA — Two people drowned and several others were injured across Georgia during the July 4th holiday weekend, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

On Friday, July 5, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Georgia game wardens were notified about a drowning on Tybee Island near Back River.

Three people were in the water when they went under.

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Two of them were pulled back to safety, but a 16-year-old Atlanta boy did not resurface.

The game wardens, along with Chatham Marine Patrol and Tybee Marine Squadron searched for his body.

The body of Laquavis McCray was recovered at 3:30 p.m. by the Chatham County Dive Team.

On Saturday, July 6, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Georgia game wardens responded to a possible drowning on Lake Rabun.

Wardens said the victim had last been seen the previous night at 10:30 p.m. and the next morning his shoes and phone were located at the entrance of the boathouse on the property.

The victim, Robert Clinkscales, 39, of Dillard, was found in about 40-50 of water, about 30 feet from the boathouse.

His body was recovered shortly after midnight.

On July 4, at approximately 1 p.m., Georgia game wardens responded to a personal watercraft (PWC) incident where wardens determined that both PWCs were rentals and that the person who rented the PWC to the at-fault operator did not follow Georgia laws and regulations.

That person was arrested.

The operator of the at-fault PWC ran away before law enforcement could arrive and was not found.

Three people were hospitalized and treated for cuts, abrasions, and several fractures.

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On July 4 at approximately 2:30 p.m., Georgia game wardens responded to a boating incident at Burton Mill Park on Lake Lanier where a man jumped off the side of a boat into shallow water.

He fractured his rib and was taken to the hospital.

On July 5 at approximately 6:30 p.m., wardens responded to a boating incident on Lake Hartwell where a PWC hit a wake and the operator hit his head on the handlebar.

he was taken to the hospital for treatment of a cut on his head.

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