The waters where tragedy struck just hours before returned Saturday to gentle, slow-moving currents.
On Friday and during one of the first days of summer, 9-year-old Anna Vanhorn was tubing with two other adults and three other children on the Chattahoochee River when she apparently got caught in a water release from the Buford dam, according to authorities. Anna had been under water for more than an hour when rescuers spotted her life preserver, according to Capt. Jason Shivers of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
The child was transported to Northside Hospital-Forsyth, where she was later pronounced dead.
Anna was in the water with a 19-year-old babysitter, another 19-year-old and three of her siblings, according to Capt. Tim House with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department. House said the county sheriff’s department has closed its investigation. The incident, however, is still being investigated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Nancy Walther, a spokeswoman for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases water from the dam usually once or twice a week during normal flows. The releases can increase to several times a week during heavy rains.
Walther said the releases can suddenly surge the water levels from 6 feet to 11 feet. She said the effects of the releases can also be felt as far as 20 miles away.
“It’s very sudden,” she said. “It’s kind of like when you are the beach and the surf kicks up when a storm is coming.”
The water from the releases is also very cold, dipping as low as 44 degrees, according to Walther.
Walther said there is an average of two drownings a year along the Chattahoochee in her jurisdiction, which covers 48 miles of river from the Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek. She said the drownings typically take place after heavy rains and releases when the water level is high.
Monday evening, three people were rescued from a large downed tree in the Chattahoochee after being taken away during a water release from the dam, Gwinnett fire Lt. Eric Eberly said. There were no injuries.
Ken Burroughs of Duluth was taking a scenic motorcycle ride Saturday when he decided to stop near Buford Dam. Looking out at a picturesque scene of calm, deep blue river, dotted with small boats, Burroughs said he knows looks can be deceiving. Burroughs enjoys canoeing, but he avoids the areas close to Buford Dam.
“The scenery is prettier here, but the danger is also higher,” Burroughs said. He’s been in the water during dam releases and felt the sudden rush of water. The rapids, he said, can get surprisingly strong. He said he prefers getting in the water far away from the dam so he doesn’t have to worry about raging water conditions.
Walther said it’s imperative people check the dam release schedule before going into the Chattahoochee River — even if they are 20 miles away from the dam release.
While some visitors Saturday to the Settles Bridge Park area, near the Forsyth and Gwinnett county line, seemed well aware of the regular releases and siren warning system, others had never heard of it.
Rogelio Gomez parked in the Settles Bridge Park area, looking for a place to swim with his three young children. He didn’t know about the releases. Gomez, who lives in Conyers, was looking for some cool relief on the sweltering hot day. But when he heard about the recent drowning, he got back in his car. They would move far away from the Buford Dam, and quite possibility, he said, just go home instead.
To check the water release schedule of the Buford Dam before entering the water directly below dams, call 770-945-1466.
To check the schedule for the Morgan Falls Dam water release schedule, call 404-329-1455.
For more safety tips, go to www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/things2know.htm
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