Thomas “Shep” Milner’s family never would have thought that a summertime dip in Lake Lanier, where he swam countless times growing up, would cost him his life.
The 24-year-old jumped into the water from his family’s dock near Little Ridge Park in Forsyth County on Thursday and was shocked by an electrical current in the water. He became the first of three swimmers to die or go missing in the lake’s infamously dangerous waters over the weekend.
Authorities are still searching Tuesday for a 27-year-old who went missing while swimming at Hall County’s Van Pugh Park on Saturday, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He was identified by officials as Leonardo Martinez of Buford.
Also on Saturday, 61-year-old Tracy Stewart, of Stone Mountain, was pulled from 110 feet of water several hours after he jumped in from a boat near East Bank Park and became distressed. He wasn’t wearing a life jacket, and by the time his group found one for him, he was already underwater, Gwinnett County officials said.
For Milner, who went by his middle name Shepard, spending time at the lake was part of his weekly routine, his mother Martha Milner told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The family has owned the property for more than 60 years, and he loved everything about the water while growing up, she said. As an adult, “most every week he would spend his day off riding the jet ski, swimming or just snoozing on the dock to some music,” Martha Milner said of her son, the youngest of three.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
After he jumped into the water Thursday, friends and family scrambled to save him when he began screaming for help. It wasn’t until a neighbor jumped in from a boat to rescue him and recognized the burning sensation in the water that they became aware of the electricity.
The neighbor quickly swam ashore to turn off the power for the dock and pulled Milner out, but it was too late. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died Friday. An investigation remains active, officials said.
Martha Milner said their dock was less than three years old and had been outfitted by a licensed electrician.
“I would encourage dock owners to check their electricity and repair promptly,” she told Channel 2 Action News.
Officials have not said how the water became charged. Electricity can find its way into water from any faulty or worn-out wiring that carries power to electrical equipment, from a light on a dock to an electric boat ramp or any boat that requires power from the shore.
According to the Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about electrocution in recreational waters, there is no visible way to tell if water surrounding a boat, marina or dock is energized. In most circumstances, victims do not immediately feel electrical current when they enter the water, giving them the false impression the area is safe for swimming.
Within seconds of an electric fault, the organization said, the water can become energized with deadly electricity and the swimmer’s muscles can become effectively paralyzed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not keep data on the prevalence of drownings from electric shock, which are considered unintentional drownings.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Just this year, there have been five deaths attributed to drownings or boating fatalities on Lake Lanier, according to the Georgia DNR. Milner’s death will not be classified as either due to the nature of the incident, a spokesperson said.
A celebration of life for Milner is planned for 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Reformation Brewery, 225 Reformation Parkway, Suite 500, in Canton. His mother remembered him as one of the smartest people she knew and described him as a kind, gentle and loving man.
“Shepard was known for his quirkiness, his humor and his dedication,” she said. “Shepard touched many lives in many ways.”
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
