A tragic incident unfolded on Lake Allatoona, where a 40-year-old Marietta man drowned while enjoying a day of tubing. The victim, identified as Robbie Cornelius, was partaking in a leisurely activity near Little River Marina when the accident occurred on Sunday afternoon.
Responders from Cherokee Fire, EMS, and the Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:26 p.m., as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Cornelius was not wearing a life jacket when he fell from his tube, and he immediately experienced leg pain, leading to a swift and frantic rescue attempt by nearby individuals. However, the situation escalated when he began pulling the rescuers underwater, forcing them to leave him.
According to a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, who spoke to AJC, "Several individuals jumped in the water attempting to rescue him but had to leave him when he began to pull them under." The search for Cornelius employed side scan SONAR technology, but despite extensive efforts, the rescue turned into a recovery mission.
Just before 5 p.m., Cornelius's body was located and retrieved by the Cherokee Fire and EMS dive team, submerged in 16 feet of water. His remains were subsequently transferred to the local coroner for examination. This dreadful event marks one of several water-related fatalities in the area recently, with another man having drowned in the lake just two weeks prior.
