*On Thursday, a 24-year-old man was electrocuted after jumping off a dock into Lake Lanier.
WAGA-TV reported that the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Thomas Milner. A neighbor was able to pull Milner from the water, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He was taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital, where he later died.
In an effort to help Milner, neighbors launched a boat and one person jumped into the water, the sheriff’s office reported. According to that person, who hasn’t been identified, he felt a burning sensation similar to an electrical shock. The diver swam to shore, turned off the power, then reentered the water to help Milner.
As TMZ reports, Lake Lanier officials have warned the public about over the years about the risk of “electric shock drowning.” According to the outlet, “faulty outlets” could cause tragic incidents like Milner’s.
“Electric shock drowning is the result of a typically low level alternating current passing through the body while immersed in fresh water,” reads a message on the official website for the lake. “The force is sufficient enough to cause skeletal muscular paralysis, rendering the victim helpless and unable to swim. This type of fault can happen in any natural water but becomes fatal in fresh water due to lower water conductivity. Salt water has a higher conductivity.”
Aerial view of Lake Lanier. iStock
We reported previously that Usher’s ex-wife Tameka Foster launched a Change.org petition to “drain, clean, restore and improve safety measures at Lake Lanier,” where her 11-year-old son Kyle Glover died in 2012. Since then, Foster notes in her petition that there have been “multiple tragic incidents that have resulted in the loss of innocent lives” at the location, People reports.
“Lake Lanier has a dark and sordid past, marked by multiple tragic incidents that have resulted in the loss of innocent lives. One such incident involves the heartbreaking loss of my son 11-year-old Kile Glover, whose life was tragically taken in an avoidable JetSki incident. The Department of Natural Resources testified in court that the perpetrator should have been cited, but timely action was not taken,” the petition states.
“This incident, among others, underscores the urgent need for proper zoning, safety, and complete overhaul measures within the lake,” the petition continues. “The lake’s construction over a city has resulted in altered current patterns that pose significant dangers to those enjoying water-based activities. The unique circumstances created by the lake’s location require a proactive approach to enhance safety measures and prevent accidents.”
Foster’s goal is to “ensure the well-being of all individuals engaging in personal watercraft and recreational activities.”
Located northeast of Atlanta, Georgia, the lake is a manmade reservoir that opened in 1956.
Newsweek reports that there have been over 700 deaths at Lake Lanier over the years. Many consider the lake “haunted” due to its eerie history. The lake is known as the “deadliest bodies of water in the United States,” per Newsweek, Express reports.
READ MORE: Tameka Foster Seeks to Drain Georgia Lake Where Her and Usher’s Son Died
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