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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Six people, including a 4-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, died in boating-related incidents in Georgia over the Fourth of July weekend, according to state officials.
On Monday, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released its final report on boating safety for the holiday weekend.
Three people drowned and three more people died in other boating incidents across the state from 12:01 a.m. on July 4 through 11:59 p.m. on July 6, according to the report.
In its final report, DNR said a 4-year-old girl died late Sunday night or early Monday morning after a boat she was on capsized on Lake Oconee on the Fourth of July.
DNR said around 10:20 p.m. Friday, game wardens responded to an overturned pontoon boat with 12 occupants on the lake in Putnam County.
Witnesses said a large wave had swept over the front of the boat. The passengers reportedly began to panic and ran to the back, causing the boat to capsize.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: More deaths, boating incidents reported on Georgia waterways during Fourth of July weekend
While rescuing the occupants, the wardens discovered that a 4-year-old girl was missing.
A former lifeguard dove under the boat and found the girl. A game warden, an off-duty fireman and a nurse all administered CPR to the child.
EMS soon arrived and took the girl to Putnam General Hospital. She was then flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where she died.
The department said the girl had been wearing a flotation device when the boat overturned.
DNR said in a previous update that a 15-year-old boy drowned at the kayak launch on the Ocmulgee River, in Jasper County, on Saturday.
Across Georgia, the department said there were 23 boating injuries and 47 cases of someone boating under the influence (BUI).
DNR reports seven BUI cases in the Acworth area and 17 cases in the Gainesville area. The department said there were two injuries in the Acworth area and 18 near Gainesville.
A total of 10 people were injured on Lake Lanier, two people were injured on Lake Oconee, one person was injured on West Point Lake, and one person was injured on Lake Allatoona, according to DNR.
Several incidents involved boats either exploding or catching fire.
On Lake Lanier, seven people, including a 5-year-old, were injured when a 23-foot cabin cruiser being towed in Landshark Cove near Margaritaville exploded. Several of the victims had second and third-degree burns, fire officials said.
A boat also exploded on Lake Nottely in Union County on July 4. DNR said the engine cut off, and when the occupants tried to re-cranked it, the explosion happened. The seven occupants were treated for “burns of varying degrees.”
Matthew Miller said his three sons, ages 20, 17 and 10, were all severely burned.
“I’ve been boating for a long time. We’re religious about boat safety. We had flotation devices on, blower fan on, and fueled properly,” Miller said. “I think it might have been some catastrophic incident – engine explosion or something – that caused the damage."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family recovering after boat explosion on north Georgia lake
Another boat exploded on the Altamaha River in Wayne County on July 4. The operator said they were traveling down the river in their 19-foot boat when they slowed and put the boat in neutral.
“As they were drifting, without any warning, the boat just exploded,” DNR said in the report.
Another boater saw the explosion and pulled over to help, and all occupants boarded the other boat just before it became engulfed in flames. The operator had minor burns and the other two occupants were uninjured.
Two vessels also caught fire at a private dock on Lake Hartwell in Hart County. No one was on the dock, so there were no injuries. DNR said electrical issues may have caused the fire.
MORE COVERAGE:
Deaths, explosions and lightning strike among Fourth of July boating accidents in Georgia
7 injured in Lake Lanier boat explosion, including 5-year-old, officials say
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News Source : https://www.walb.com/2025/07/07/6-people-including-4-year-old-girl-die-georgia-boating-incidents-over-fourth-july-weekend/
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