Lake Lanier drowning deaths ruled accidental

The deaths of a pair of Dawsonville men found last week in the frigid waters of Lake Lanier was accidental, authorities said.

The state medical examiner ruled on Monday that David Wood and Mason Cox, both 20, died from “drowning complicated by hypothermia,” GBI spokeswoman Agent Sherry Lang said.

Their deaths were deemed accidental, Lang said.

Cox and Wood disappeared Jan. 2 after a fishing trip, authorities said.

Mason Cox’s mother said she found his shirt, wallet, car and cell phone at home, but no trace of him.

Both men were found dead early Friday morning after a lengthy search, just 30 feet from the lake shore, authorities said, leaving friends and loved ones wondering what happened.