Body of Georgia man recovered after drowning in Oconee River

Officials have recovered the body of an Eatonton man who drowned Saturday in the Oconee River, according to reports.

Jeffrey Roberts, 41, was swimming near the Wilkinson-Johnson County line when he disappeared underwater and never resurfaced, 13 WMAZ reported, citing the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

His remains were found at 7:30 p.m. Sunday after authorities with several agencies searched the water for hours, the station reported.

Roberts was rowing downriver with a group of canoers and kayakers from Milledgeville. The group spent Friday night at the Oconee Greenway and continued on the excursion Saturday, reaching the county line about 2 p.m., WMAZ reported.

That’s when Roberts went for a swim and vanished, Wilkinson County Coroner Bill Matthews told the station.

Game wardens were on the scene about 30 minutes later but were unable to locate Roberts. The next day, an aviation and dive team joined the search, along with deputies from Wilkinson and Johnson counties, who finally located the missing man, WMAZ reported.