WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Life jackets are designed to save lives, but they are useless if you’re not wearing one while out on the water.
In Cherokee County, two men have been pulled from Lake Allatoona in a matter of weeks. Neither of the men were wearing life jackets. While each case was different, the commonalities included the water and the absence of a life jacket.
The lake covers more than 12,000 acres with 270 miles of shore line. A summer time tradition for many in north Georgia.
“The lake is a beautiful place but it’s also dangerous," Cherokee County Fire Chief of Special Operations Darrell Mitchel explained.
Mitchell’s crew are the firefighters who respond when tragedy strikes on the lake.
“You look across the lake and it’s such a beautiful view but just in a matter of seconds it can take any life," he said.
On June 10, 45-year-old Dehaven Prillerman’s body was recovered after the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said he jumped off the back of a pontoon to retrieve a pair of sunglasses that had fallen in the water. His body was found near a dock at Victoria Harbor.
On Thursday, DNR said 54-year-old Jackie Merrell of Ellijay went under the weather near the falls, which are also frequently called Toonigh Creek Falls. His body was later recovered in about 15 feet of water.
Those are the only two drownings so far this year on Cherokee County's Lake Allatoona -- with both being adults.
“In Cherokee County that’s what we have found it’s mostly adults, we have very few drownings involving children,” Cherokee County Fire Safety Educator Lisha Grisham explained.
Grisham spearheaded a project that makes life jackets available for boaters and swimmers to borrow on the lake. The loaner stations are set up around the shore, typically at boat ramps.
“If they don’t have a life jacket handy, they can borrow one of these,” Grisham explained.
Mitchell said they’re seeing a lot more people hitting the lake this year and even with this second drowning, they’re not seeing any shift in trends from years past.
“These were two that happened close together,” Mitchell said, adding, "We’re not seeing any kind of uptick in drownings.”
It’s a trend Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services hope to keep from happening.
“If people would just pay a little more attention to that safety factor we could cut those numbers down,” Grisham said.
So far in in 2023, Georgia DNR said they’ve investigated 26 drownings -- including Thursday’s drowning near the falls in Lake Allatoona.
Cherokee County officials pointed out children under the age of 13 are required by law to wear a life jacket while on a moving boat.
DNR also provided the following tips in case you find yourself in a dire situation in the water. You can view all those safety tips at the link here.