The body of a 61-year-old male who drowned Saturday evening while swimming in Lake Lanier was recovered using the Apple Watch he was wearing.
According to Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, firefighters responded to a 911 call for assistance at 7:24 p.m. when the occupants of a boat stated a male with their seven-member group had entered the lake waters to swim and became distressed. The 911 callers said the male had requested a lifejacket be thrown to him, however before a lifejacket could be provided, the male went underwater.
Gwinnett County Fire’s Swiftwater Rescue Team and Gwinnett County Police’s Aviation Unit were able to locate the stranded boat and bring the occupants to shore. Crews on scene then used an Apple Watch the victim was wearing to triangulate an area to grid search using a Side-Scan Sonar system. With assistance from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Hall County Fire Rescue and the Forsyth County Fire Department’s Dive Team, crews were able to locate the victim’s body using a submersible Remote Operated Vehicle.
The body was recovered 110 feet below the surface about 45 minutes after the victim went underwater.
The victim’s identity has not been released.
