A 20-year-old man was found alive in Lake Lanier after being reported missing by his friends on Monday (July 8). FOX 5 Atlanta reports Zachary Rutledge was found by a deputy from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
RELATED: Say Sike Right Now?! Social Media in Shambles After Reports of ‘Water Coaster’ Coming to Lake Lanier
20-year-old man found alive after incident at Lake Lanier
Friends of the missing man called police at around 8:30 p.m. after losing sight of him while swimming. They were unsure whether he was still in the lake or had simply walked home.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Hall County Fire Department began a search. Water and air searches were conducted, but no sign of Zachary was found. The next morning, around 9 a.m., Zachary Rutledge flagged down a police officer while he was patrolling the park.
Rutledge reportedly revealed that the day before, he swam from shore to a nearby island. After he returned from his solo adventure, his friends were nowhere to be found. He slept in the park overnight since he didn’t have his cell phone to contact his friends or family.
FOX 5 Zachary reports that he heard helicopters overhead, but had no idea they were looking for him.
The Not-So-Lucky Disappearances at the Lake
Luckily for Zachary, his story had a good ending. However, there is a constant expansion list of mysterious deaths in the water.
As previously reported by The Shadow Room, Gavrie Alexander Whitlock fell into the lake on September 2, 2023, after running off a pier. He never resurfaced and reportedly drowned. Whitlocks’ body was later recovered in 16-foot-deep water.
Additionally, two elderly people died this year. Matthew Mayo died after the seat of the bass fishing boat came loose while he was fishing with his wife. He fell into the water. The 73-year-old man’s body was later recovered by emergency crews.
76 years old Jim Hansard was last seen relaxing on a dock near the infamous lake. His parked golf cart was found, and his shoe was discovered floating in the water, reportedly later found by a friend. The Department of Natural Resources declared him dead shortly after.
RELATED: Second elderly man dies on Lake Lanier as summer season begins
What do you think, roommates?