Authorities are investigating the death of a 60-year-old Gainesville man whose body was discovered in Lake Lanier on Tuesday, not far from where he lived.
A fisherman discovered the unresponsive man about 2:45 p.m. in Balus Creek near White’s Mill Road, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. His boat was discovered floating in the water nearby.
Emergency crews pulled the man from the water and attempted CPR. The victim, identified as Ben Bidgoly, was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center and pronounced dead.
Shortly after taking him to the hospital, Hall County dispatchers received a 911 call from one of Bidgoly’s family members reporting him missing, authorities said.
His body was sent to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy, but foul play is not suspected in his death, deputies said. The case remains under investigation.
Bidgoly’s death marked the second time this week a body has been pulled from Lake Lanier. On Sunday evening, the body of a Gainesville teenager was recovered in the water following a four-hour search.
MORE: Body of Hall County teen pulled from Lake Lanier
According to investigators, 19-year-old Jesus Victoria Reynosa went under water near Longwood Park about 2 p.m. and never resurfaced. Using sonar scanning technology and a remote-operated vehicle, crews recovered his body about 6 p.m.
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