LAKE LANIER, Ga. — It has been a challenging July 4th holiday weekend for Georgia Law Enforcement both on the roads and in the water.
4 people have drowned, 4 have died on boats and 19 others have been injured in a wide variety of boating incidents according to Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources.
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Channel 2’s Bryan Mims was out at Lake Lanier Sunday morning, less than 48 hours after 7 people were hurt. Mims spoke to Tony McAlister who is a regular on the lake.
McAlister said he and a friend were in the same cove where the boat explosion happened and left just moments before.
“I’m glad I didn’t see it,” McAlister said. “That’s the first thing I thought of. I’m glad we left when we did, I can’t imagine seeing that right in front of you.”
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On the same night, another boat went up in flames on Lake Nottley in Union County. That fire sent seven more people to the hospital with burns.
While the cause of both of those fires has not been determined, McAlister said that often times a boat’s engine compartment isn’t ventilated, causing fumes to build up. He added that all it would take to ignite it would be a spark.
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As of noon on Sunday, Georgia’s DNR said they have worked 4 drownings, 62 boating under the influence incidents, 4 boating fatalities, and 29 injury calls.
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