Hall County

Family of victims in Lake Lanier boating accident release statement

By Kimberly Richardson
By Kimberly Richardson

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Officials have identified four bodies that were recovered

after a boat overturned Friday on Lake Lanier

, officials said.

The bodies of Melissa Renee McMahan, 45, of Mount Washington, Kentucky, and Tammy Reece, 44, of Columbia, Kentucky, were located after an overnight search, officials with the Department of Natural Resources said Saturday.

The bodies of Arthur Gene McMahan Jr., 46, of Mount Washington, Kentucky, and Anthony Reece Jr., 44, of Columbia, Kentucky, were located early Sunday.

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Search teams found the bodies using special tracking equipment that works with limited traffic on the water.

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 conducted 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,” the post read in part.

The McMahan family released a statement that reads:

“At this time we want to thank the community, friends and family for their ongoing love and support. Our parents meant the world to us, we never realized how much impact they had on people’s lives. They both were such amazing, loving and caring parents, grandparents, children siblings and friends to so many. They were one of a kind and will truly be missed. Thank you again for your continued prayers.”

The boaters were in town for a poker run scheduled to be held at the lake this weekend.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the boat to flip over.

Cox Media Group

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