Family of victims in Lake Lanier boating accident release statement

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

, 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:

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.