Buzz
For many, a visit to the lake represents a peaceful escape, but a day at Lake Lanier in northern Georgia can quickly turn unsettling. This lake is infamous for the number of lives claimed by its murky, treacherous waters every year. When combined with the area's unsettling past, it contributes to the persistent belief that the lake is cursed, and that those who enter should proceed with caution.
Local authorities often emphasize that no one has ever perished while wearing a life jacket, which is a valid observation. However, with so many fatalities occurring under mysterious circumstances, doubts linger. Make up your mind about the rumors after reading ten unsettling truths about one of the deadliest lakes in the United States: Lake Sidney Lanier.
10. The Area Is Steeped in Tragedy
Before the mid-1800s, the Cherokee Nation lived in the land that would become Lake Lanier, situated in Forsyth County. In the 1830s, the U.S. government forcibly removed the majority of the Cherokee people, an event that would later be remembered as the southeastern leg of the Trail of Tears—“one of the most horrific human rights violations in American history.” Another forced relocation took place in the same area eight decades later, but this time, it was a different community that was displaced.
After the Civil War, Forsyth County became home to a mix of Black and white settlers. However, this balance was shattered in 1912 following the assault and murder of 18-year-old Mae Crow, a white woman. A white lynch mob executed the alleged killer, 24-year-old Robert “Big Rob” Edwards, and proceeded to attack all Black residents, driving most of them out of the county within a matter of two months. The mob then claimed ownership of the land through a legal process known as “adverse possession.” Many believe these brutal events left a permanent scar on the land that still lingers today.
9. A Final Expulsion
Forsyth County witnessed a last wave of displacement when the United States Army Corps of Engineers decided to construct a lake near Atlanta, Georgia, to provide hydroelectric power, water, and flood control to surrounding counties. In exchange for their land, the government offered monetary compensation to the locals, many of whom had lived on the land for generations, holding it in high regard. The announcement stirred feelings of “anger, resentment, fear, anxiety, bewilderment and apprehension” among the residents.
Eventually, about 700 families sold 56,000 acres, facilitating the creation of a dam on the Chattahoochee River to form the lake. By 1956, the local community watched helplessly as everything “they had left behind was covered by the rising waters.” Despite the government's claims that residents were compensated for the full value of their land and property, some families later regretted their decision, realizing that the compensation was insufficient for sustaining their lives.
8. Unmarked Graves Lurk Beneath the Waters
In preparation for the creation of the lake, the Army Corps of Engineers cleared everything deemed hazardous, including uprooting trees, dismantling barns and wooden structures, and relocating bridges and water intakes. However, the community also housed a cemetery. According to Cesar Yabor, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Corps did identify and relocate marked graves, but it's likely that some unmarked graves were left behind.
“While the Corps made every effort at the time to locate unmarked burials,” Yabor stated, “the limited technology available at the time makes it likely that unanticipated discoveries of human remains could occur, whether from the antebellum and Civil War periods or from Native American origins dating back to pre-colonial and ancient times.”
Over the years, the gradual flooding covered these graves until it became the largest lake in Georgia. Today, Lake Lanier serves as a vital source of drinking water for over 5 million people.
7. The Tragic Toll of Deaths at Lake Lanier
Since its creation, 500 people have lost their lives at Lake Lanier, with 200 of those fatalities occurring between 1994 and 2022. Despite drawing approximately 11 million visitors annually, the lake’s high number of deaths remains unexplained. In comparison, Lake Allatoona, located just 40 miles to the west, experiences nearly the same amount of visitors each year but only one-third of the deaths. The number of fatalities at Lake Lanier remains unpredictable: six people drowned there in 2022, four in 2021, and seven in 2020.
The most shocking statistic is the tragic day when seven people lost their lives in a single incident. Dubbed the deadliest day in Lake Lanier’s history, this tragedy occurred on Christmas Day, 1964. Seven members of two Gainesville, GA, families perished after their station wagon veered off the road, crashing down a 30-foot (9.1-meter) embankment and plummeting into the lake. Reports indicate that the car clipped a guardrail and hit a power pole so forcefully that it snapped in two. Despite the brave efforts of passersby and divers from the fire department, who jumped into the freezing waters, visibility was nearly nonexistent.
Among the victims were Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Brown, who died in the accident, along with three of their four children. Mr. and Mrs. Billy Rodgers also lost two of their children. Mrs. Rodgers later shared that the two families were on their way to an orchard to pick apples for their Christmas dinner when the tragedy struck.
6. The Lady of the Lake
In 1958, Delia May Parker Young and Susie Roberts left a local dance together and made an impromptu decision to skip paying for gas. This choice likely increased their speed as they crossed a bridge over Lake Lanier. Unfortunately, their car’s wheels skidded off the road, sending the vehicle into the cold, dark waters below. The car sank to the lake's depths, where it remained for over 30 years before being discovered by authorities. Tragically, neither woman survived the accident.
The tragedy eventually evolved into a chilling local legend: the Lady of the Lake. According to the legend, a ghostly figure, often said to be a woman in a blue dress similar to the one worn by Susie Roberts that night, haunts the area. This spectral figure, commonly seen near the bridge, is often described without hands, and is said to lure unsuspecting victims to their watery doom. The legend claims she grabs anyone who ventures too close to the water’s edge with her handless arms and drags them beneath the surface.
5. The Tragic Death of Kile Glover
In July 2012, Kile Glover, the son of Tameka Foster, a fashion designer and the ex-wife of R&B superstar Usher, was struck by a personal watercraft while sitting on an inner tube in Lake Lanier. Eleven years later, Foster gathered over 2,500 signatures for a petition calling on officials to 'drain, clean, and restore' Lake Lanier. The petition urges for critical safety upgrades and the removal of hazardous debris and other dangers from the lake.
“Draining, cleaning, and restoring Lake Lanier is not only a necessity but also a chance to honor the memories of those who have lost their lives and prevent further tragedies,” Foster wrote in her Change.org petition. She also promoted the cause on her Instagram account. Foster shared her son with Bounce TV founder Ryan Glover. Kile was only 11 years old when he tragically passed away.
4. The Mysterious Disappearance of Kelly Nash
On January 5, 2015, Kelly Nash vanished without a trace. His girlfriend, Jessica Sexton, told police that Nash had woken up at 4 am that morning feeling unwell, coughing and sneezing. When she awoke again a few hours later, he was gone. His truck, wallet, and cell phone were left behind. The only item missing was a 9mm handgun.
Family, friends, and authorities spared no effort in attempting to uncover the truth behind Nash’s disappearance, even offering a $50,000 reward for information. The only clue found was a surveillance video from a local gas station, taken the night before he went missing. The footage showed Nash picking up a few items while talking to his girlfriend, but there was nothing unusual in the recording.
On the evening of February 8, 2015, a fisherman discovered Nash’s body in Lake Lanier. He was wearing the same pajamas and dark shirt he had on in the surveillance video. Authorities found a gunshot wound on his body but concluded that he had drowned. After a month of searching, Alan Nash, Kelly's father, said of his son: “He saw what he wanted in life. He had figured it out and was working to get there. Strong relationships were what he wanted in life. Kelly wasn’t driven by money, but by doing things the right way.”
3. Dangers of Electrocution in the Lake
Electrocution is another significant danger at Lake Lanier. On July 29, 2023, 24-year-old Thomas Milner was electrocuted after jumping off his family’s dock into the lake. A family friend tried to help him out using a ladder, but without success. As neighbors approached in a boat, one person jumped into the water to assist Milner, only to feel a sudden burning sensation — an electric shock. They swam to shore, turned off the power supply, and returned to pull Milner from the water. Though Milner was rescued, he later passed away from his injuries in the hospital.
The Electrical Shock Drowning Prevention Association explains that electric shock drowning occurs when an electrical current leaks into surrounding water. Even a small electrical current passing through the body can cause muscular paralysis, leaving the swimmer unable to escape. This electricity typically comes from the electrical systems of docks, marinas, or boats connected to the marina or dock’s power supply.
2. Unexplained Boat Fires
Boat enthusiasts on Lake Lanier face more dangers than just collisions. A significant concern is the number of boat fires and explosions that have occurred. On Mother’s Day 2021, the Coleman family struggled to start their boat after refueling, as the engine wouldn’t turn over. “We’ve never had a problem with this boat before,” said Steve Coleman. “I tried it one more time, and it just BAM.” His children, Gunner and Taylor, sustained severe burns, necessitating an airlift to the hospital. Taylor required at least three surgeries as part of her long recovery process.
Just two months later, another boat fire happened on July 3, involving two adults and two children on board. Both adults sustained serious burns that required urgent medical care. Authorities continued to report a series of boat fires at the lake, with five fires occurring between May 2021 and July 2022. On July 11, 2022, a fire at Lake Lanier’s Sunrise Cove marina destroyed three boats. Despite these incidents and many others, officials have yet to determine the cause of these boat fires.
1. Boat Collisions Plague the Waters
Boating at Lake Lanier is infamously hazardous, particularly during the summer months. At approximately 11 p.m. on June 17, 2012, a fishing boat collided head-on with a pontoon boat, resulting in the deaths of two boys. The body of nine-year-old Jacob Prince was quickly located, but the search for his 13-year-old brother Griffin Prince was complicated by deep waters and timber obstructing the lake floor.
Jacob’s mother and two other children were injured in the crash. The fisherman involved, Paul Bennett, faced charges for boating under the influence, reckless conduct, and failing to assist after the collision. In a more recent incident, a 10-year-old girl broke her leg in June 2023 after two boats collided, requiring her to be airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Not all boating accidents at Lake Lanier occur during the summer months. In January 2013, a fishing boat collided with a four-person rowing shell, known as a “quad.” Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, though all four rowers suffered varying levels of hypothermia from the lake's frigid waters. The fisherman admitted responsibility for the incident, acknowledging he had been distracted and unable to reverse in time to prevent the collision. The same fishing boat that caused the crash later transported the rowers back to the boathouse.
