The body of a kayaker has been found days after he disappeared on the Ocmulgee River in Butts County, officials said.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources recovered the body of De’vonte B. Griffieth about 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to spokesman Mark McKinnon.
Griffieth, 23, of McDonough, was reported missing Saturday afternoon after he went underwater and did not resurface, McKinnon said.
On Saturday evening and Sunday, searchers walked along the banks of the river and divers used sonar equipment to try to locate the man. The river is higher than usual, and the swift current made the search more difficult, McKinnon said. Griffieth’s body was found in 19 feet of water near where he first went under, McKinnon said.
Griffieth is one of two kayakers who died while on the water over the weekend.
Cherokee County authorities on Sunday found the body of a kayaker who fell in Lake Allatoona while trying to rescue his dog.
Deputy coroner Sally Sims told AJC.com that Jordan Jackson’s kayak capsized Saturday as he reached for the dog. The dog eventually swam to shore, but Jackson never resurfaced. Two other kayakers jumped in the water to try to find him, Cherokee fire spokesman Tim Cavender said.
The dog, who was wearing a life preserver, swam to shore and is OK, Sims said.
Authorities began looking for Jackson about 6 p.m., according to a news release. A rescue boat was launched to search for Jackson by sonar, officials said.
“We put boats and swimmers out in the water and have had people searching since about 6 o’clock tonight,” Cherokee fire special operations Chief Darrell Mitchell told Channel 2 Action News on Saturday.
Divers searched the area until 1 a.m. Sunday with no results. They resumed the search about 6:45 a.m. The DNR said divers used sonar to locate the man’s body about 10:45 a.m.
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