Staff Reports 

(Buford, Ga.) – Gwinnett County firefighters were kept busy on Monday afternoon dealing with various weather-related incidents. While the majority of the calls came in from Snellville, Lilburn, and Stone Mountain, a few came from the Buford area. 

Firefighters responded to a call from the Dakota Mill Creek Apartments located at 2705 Mall of Georgia Boulevard in Buford. Upon arrival, firefighters found a small fire at the base of a power pole. They extinguished the fire and called Jackson EMC to respond to the scene. 

Gwinnett FD received a call from a kayaker who got into trouble on Lake Lanier.  The female kayaker reported having difficulty making it back to shore due to the large waves created by the storm. She did make it to a nearby island where she called for help. She was able to communicate her location to authorities by sending photos and using Google maps on her cellphone.  

The Swiftwater Team set out from East Bank Buford Dam Park located at 1380 Buford Dam Rd. in Buford. Thanks to the kayaker’s information,  the rescue team was able to locate the kayaker and return her safely to Lanier Park. No injuries were reported.