HARALSON COUNTY, Ga. — The search for a missing Acworth man has come to a sad end after deputies said they found his body in a west Georgia lake on Friday night in what was described as a "tragic accident."
Haralson County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to a home along Tab Road in Buchanan just before 11 p.m. Friday night for a missing person.
Family members told deputies that 78-year-old Ardell Kennedy had left Acworth around 8:30 Friday morning to head out to his property in Haralson County. His family realized around 8 p.m. that he hadn't returned home, so they drove out to his property.
Deputies said when they got there, they found his truck but were still unable to find him. A tractor he had was missing from the property, however.
Investigators, the Haralson County Fire Department and the Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Natural Resources Aviation Unit were called out to the property to help search for Kennedy. Authorities found out that Kennedy's cell phone had been off since around noon.
After the search lasted hours into the night, they stumbled upon the tractor near the edge of the lake on the property. Carroll County Fire and Rescue Dive Team were called out to search the lake.
The divers were able to find Kennedy's body inside the lake, deputies said. Investigators said it appears that Kennedy's death was an accident.
“Sadly, this was not the outcome we wanted in this case,” Sheriff Williams said. “Our hope was to find Mr. Kenney alive and reunite him with his family. I would like to thank everyone that came out to help in this search, the Haralson County Fire Department, DNR, GSP Aviation Unit, Carroll County Fire and Rescue Dive Team, and the Haralson County Coroner’s Office. We send our sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Kennedy and we ask that you please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.”