Missing 17-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in Georgia Lake: ‘Family Are Heartbroken by the Tragic Loss'
Law enforcement began searching for Croft, 17, after receiving reports of a boat circulating without an operator on Thursday, June 5
Local divers recovered Croft from 22 feet in the water amid a search for him on FridayA missing teenager has been found dead in Georgia.
At around 5:21 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 5, law enforcement received reports of a boat circling at Allatoona Lake without an operator, 11Alive reported, citing Georgia DNR Public Affairs Officer Mark McKinnon. A search was then launched to find missing 17-year-old Jackson Cole Croft.
The teenage boy's body was located by Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Game Wardens a day later, McKinnon told PEOPLE.
"The game wardens ran SONAR until dark and Cherokee County Fire had divers on scene, in case they were needed for a recovery," he said of the search for Croft. "At dark, the search was suspended and resumed at 7:00 a.m. on June 6th. "
"The agencies involved in the search included Georgia DNR Game Wardens, Cherokee County Fire, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, and US Army Corps of Engineers," McKinnon continued. "Georgia Game Wardens located Jackson Cole Croft, age 17, of Woodstock, with side scan SONAR at 3:38 p.m. on June 6th in 22 feet of water.
"He was found several hundred feet from where his empty boat was found circling last night. He was recovered a short time later by Cherokee County divers," McKinnon concluded.
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Croft had been part of Woodstock's racing community and recently began driving Dixie Speedway's No.9 car, Today reported.
On Friday, Dixie Speedway shared a tribute to Croft on Facebook.
'The Swims and Green family are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jackson Croft,' they wrote, alongside a picture of the No.9 car. 'This precious family has been a huge part of Dixie Speedway's history and dear friends for many years.' - Mia Green, VP.'
The caption added, 'Jackson has been around racing his entire life with his dad, Jason Croft, competing in the Super Late Model division. He started his racing career this year and was on a path to make his mark in the industry.
"We would like to ask everyone to please keep the entire Croft family in their prayers during this very difficult time," they concluded.
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