Body Found in Search for Dad of 5 Who Went Missing While Kayaking in Georgia's Infamous Lake Lanier

Yahoo

17-05-2025

A body was discovered in Lake Lanier while authorities searched for Dustin Valencia, a missing kayaker
Valencia was reported missing on May 14 after he failed to pick up his children from school
Lake Lanier has a high death toll, leading local folklore to allege that it is "haunted"Officials discovered a body in Lake Lanier in Georgia while searching for Dustin Valencia, a kayaker who was reported missing on Wednesday, May 14.
The body was discovered 51 feet deep into the water in a cove near where Valencia, 43, was last seen, per 11Alive.
The identification process is underway, but the body has not been confirmed as Valencia, Forsyth County Public Information Officer Stacie A. Miller told PEOPLE.
'It's one of the worst things first responders have to deal with," Mark McKinnon of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources told WSB-TV, adding that the search for the father of five has ended.
Valencia was reported missing after he failed to pick up his kids from school, according to 11Alive and WSB-TV. Police found his Honda Accord in the Lakeside Park parking lot near the reservoir.
The husband and father is a graduate of the University of Georgia, a close family friend told 11Alive. Valencia's wife first attempted to locate him through Find My iPhone.
On the morning of Friday, May 16, a dock worker discovered Valencia's kayak and paddle, and reported the discovery to the authorities. Foul play is not suspected at this time, and a source told WSB-TV that Valencia was training for a triathlon.
A vigil was held for Valencia at 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, at a local church, they added.
'A group of us met at his church for a vigil, prayed, and then we left to come find him," Cait Fritts, a friend of Valencia's, told WSB-TV. "We have been searching by foot and connected with other friends who have boats, looking for any signs of the kayak he was on. He's got five kids. I can't imagine what his family is going through. I think they would want everyone to know and go look for him and spread the word."
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More than 200 people have died in Lake Lanier since 1994, per CNN. In 2023, there were at least 12 deaths, including two Georgia men who both died in unrelated incidents months apart, PEOPLE previously reported.
The reservoir broke ground in 1950 and was built for flood control, displacing nearly 700 families. More than 1,000 people were forced out of the prosperous Black community known as Oscarville by white individuals from Forsyth County, Teen Vogue reported.
Many now consider the body of water to be 'haunted,' per the outlets.
Read the original article on People