71-year-old fisherman’s body pulled from Lake Sinclair after 6-day search, GA officials say
A 71-year-old man’s body was pulled from Lake Sinclair after a six-day search using SONAR scans, divers, search dogs and drones.
Joseph Roberson and his wife, Reba Roberson, set off on a nighttime fishing trip on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at Lake Sinclair, according to WMAZ. They were about three-quarters of a mile out when the boat began to fill up with water and sink.
Roberson’s wife called 911, telling authorities that they were going to put on their life jackets and attempt to swim back to the shore while help was dispatched, WMGT reported.
When help arrived about 20 minutes after the 911 call, rescuers only found Roberson’s wife wearing her life jacket, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources told WMAZ. She was barely conscious and had severe hypothermia. Close to her in the water, officials found a second life jacket, but her husband was missing.
Roberson’s body was found six days after the incident at around 12:40 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31, according to the Union Recorder. Roberson’s body was found in the area that the recovery team had been focusing on and officials found him in 22 feet of water, according to WGXA.
“We run into situations like this and tragedies every year,” Georgia Department of Natural Resources Sgt. Bubba Stanford said in a news conference while the search for Roberson was ongoing. “Life jackets do save lives, as it did with Ms. Roberson.”
According to WMAZ, authorities don’t know why the boat began taking on water.
Drowning is the reported cause of death in 75% of all boating fatalities and 8 out of every 10 boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length, according to the Safe Boating Council.
Georgia Power offers resources on boating safety and protocol to lake visitors and recreational boaters.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 6:45 PM with the headline "71-year-old fisherman’s body pulled from Lake Sinclair after 6-day search, GA officials say."
