A tragic incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at Lake Lanier, where a Vinings man drowned while swimming to his boat, officials have reported. The man, identified as 46-year-old Hasani Kamau Widemond, was swimming from the shore back to his boat when he went underwater and did not resurface, according to a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. The emergency response included Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Game Wardens, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and local fire departments, who arrived at Bethel Park on Lake Lanier just before 2 p.m. to conduct the rescue effort.
Despite the swift response of Forsyth County Fire Department and Hall County Fire Department, Widemond was found approximately 25 feet underwater. The search teams were to quickly locate Widemond using boat-mounted sonar technology. Hall County Fire’s Remote Operated Vessel (ROV) and Forsyth County Fire divers then collaborated to recover the body, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Widemond's drowning is ongoing. His death is a sobering addition to the fatalities reported at Lake Lanier this year. Earlier incidents included the drowning of 76-year-old Jim Hansard in June and the May drowning of a 73-year-old man while fishing. Officials provided details of these prior occurrences, indicating the ongoing need for heightened safety awareness around the lake's waters.
Saturday's incident marks the third drowning at Lake Lanier in the current year alone, prompting renewed concerns about water safety. In past events, victims have encountered sudden accidents, such as the one involving Matthew Mayo, who drowned when attempting to sit in a boat and falling into the water after the seat became unbolted. With Labor Day weekend typically seeing a surge in lake activities, authorities continue to emphasize the importance of vigilance and caution to avoid further tragedies on the water.
