Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

Man dies after going underwater at Lake Allatoona while swimming to dog

An Ellijay man died Thursday morning after being pulled from 15 feet of water in Lake Allatoona, according to officials.

Credit: Andy Sharp/AJC

Credit: Andy Sharp/AJC

An Ellijay man died Thursday morning after being pulled from 15 feet of water in Lake Allatoona, according to officials.
By
July 20, 2023

A man has died after being pulled from Lake Allatoona on Thursday morning, according to authorities.

Jackie Merrell, 54, of Ellijay, went missing around 9:45 a.m. near the waterfalls at Little River, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Witnesses told first responders that he was swimming out to his dog when he went under.

The Cherokee County dive team responded and quickly found him under 15 feet of water, the DNR said. Merrell was rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

It is not clear what caused Merrell to go underwater, but officials said they don’t believe he was trying to rescue the dog.

No other information was released.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

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