Man found dead in Lake Lanier after he didn’t return from daily swim

A 66-year-old man was found dead early Thursday in Lake Lanier after he didn’t return from his regular swim the day before, officials said.

Brent James Williams was last seen on a private dock around 7 p.m. Wednesday. He routinely went swimming in the evenings, his tenant told the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

When the woman noticed her landlord hadn’t returned home by 9 p.m. and saw his belongings still at the dock, she called 911, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Searchers used an underwater drone to locate the Gainesville man’s body, which was found by Hall County officials around 1 a.m. Thursday. He was found in 12 feet of water and about 10 feet from the dock.

The sheriff’s office described the incident as an apparent drowning and said no foul play is suspected.

Williams is the sixth person to drown in Lake Lanier this year.

Since January, there have been 59 drownings in Georgia lakes, according to the Department of Natural Resources.