A tragic incident unfolded at Hard Labor Creek State Park when a man, identified as 35-year-old Devise Blount, drowned while attempting to swim to a buoy. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources reported that the event occurred around 6 p.m. yesterday. According to WSB-TV, Blount was racing against a friend when he began to "struggle" and subsequently disappeared beneath the water's surface.
Witnesses at the scene desperately tried to directly intervene and save the struggling swimmer but were unable to reach him in time. Game wardens from the DNR were notified and responded swiftly to the emergency. Despite the efforts of several bystanders to swim out and rescue him, Blount never resurfaced. His body was discovered some hours later, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
Divers from Newton County Emergency Management were deployed and managed to locate Blount's body shortly before 9 p.m., found in approximately 15 feet of water. The recovery operation spanned several hours following the initial distress call. The Morgan County coroner's office received custody of the body for subsequent procedures following the retrieval.
The authorities have released the name of the victim after ensuring the family was notified.
