GEORGIA, USA — Editor's Note: The above video is from a previous report.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Department of Public Safety have released a final report detailing the number of incidents on roadways and waterways in the Peach State during Memorial Day weekend.
This year, two people drowned, one at St. Simons Island and another at a private pond in Muscogee County. Twenty-nine people were also charged with boating under the influence. The department also reported that a total of four people were injured, and there were three boating incidents. No one was killed in any of the boating incidents.
Georgia's Department of Public Safety posted that there were at least 11 fatalities on the Peach State roadways, according to a post on the X platform. On Wednesday, the Georgia State Patrol released their final report numbers of traffic incidents. The agency said it investigated 8 deadly crashes, with local law enforcement investigating three more crashes.
Across the state, Trooper also investigated 500 crashes, with 250 people injured. Troopers and the Motor Carrier Compliance Division also performed over 24,000 traffic stops and arrested nearly 500 people for driving under the influence. Troopers also issued 15,000 warnings and over 14,000 citations.
DPS' roadway travel period started on Friday, May 24, at 6 p.m. and ended on Monday, May 27, at 11:59 p.m.
DNR officials said the boating period started at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 25 and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 27.
Authorities added that the drowning in Muscogee County happened on Monday when game wardens received information about a body that was in the private pond. DNR added that the victim was wearing a swimsuit in the pond in a wooded area.
Although the drowning was reported on Monday, officials believe the victim had been dead in the pond for two or three days. DNR said the body would be sent to the crime lab to determine the cause of death.
The department said that the other drowning on St. Simons Island happened on Sunday during the late afternoon. A 33-year-old man was received from the water line at Neptune Beach. DNR officials said he was taken to the hospital, where crews performed life-saving measures on him, but he sadly passed away. DNR officials sent his body to the crime lab to rule out any medical issues.
In a Thursday news conference, DNR officials said game wardens would show low tolerance for those who violate boating laws as authorities crack down on boaters under the influence.
DNR game wardens were also on the lookout for those who violated the 100-foot wave rule, which states that if you're within 100 feet of people or other structures, you should be at wake speed. They will also look for 200-foot wave speed violations.
At the news conference, the Governor of Highway Safety and the Georgia State Patrol announced plans to increase road patrols during the holiday period.