Hall County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call regarding a missing man that culminated with his body being discovered in Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch Monday evening, Nov. 5, 2018.
The victim, Benjamin Franklin Jackson, 48, of Lawrenceville, told a friend on Sunday evening that he planned to go fishing all night. That was the last known contact anyone had with Jackson.
At approximately 3:50 p.m. on Monday, Jackson’s wife called to report that he was missing. She had used geolocation data to find his cellphone in the area of Flowery Branch Park, according to investigators.
With the help of an unrelated individual she encountered in the area, Jackson’s wife had discovered her husband’s pickup truck off of the railroad tracks between Bell Drive and Mitchell Street. His fishing equipment and chair were nearby and close to the shore.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators and personnel with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responded to the scene. Using sonar imaging equipment, DNR discovered the body at approximately 6:30 p.m. The victim was found in roughly 7.5 feet of water about 20 feet from the shore.
The preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play in what appears to be an accidental drowning. The victim was transported to the medical examiner’s office for autopsy.
This case remains under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.