Authorities have recovered the body of one of two fishermen reported missing when two boats collided Wednesday afternoon on Lake Lanier.
Divers recovered the body of 59-year-old Brianislav Prazich in about 33 feet of water near the crash site Thursday afternoon, Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark McKinnon said.
The search for the second missing fisherman was suspended Thursday afternoon because of storms. Recovery efforts are set to resume Friday morning, McKinnon said.
The wreck occurred just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, injuring three people on one of the boats and launching the two men from the second into the lake, said Jason Shivers, division chief for the Forsyth County Fire Department.
The men went under water in the southern portion of the lake near Bald Ridge Creek just north of Little Ridge Park, Shivers said.
Credit: Courtesy of Ben Hendren
Credit: Courtesy of Ben Hendren
The Georgia DNR identified the fishermen as Prazich and Nicholas “Nick” Edward Schimweg, both of Cumming. Prazich was the operator of the boat, authorities said. Schimweg, 38, was a passenger.
Authorities believe they were the only people aboard their boat during the crash.
The operator of the other boat, Scott Butler, 55, of Atlanta, sustained significant injuries to his arms and upper body. He was taken to North Fulton Hospital and is expected to survive.
Two passengers on that boat suffered minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene. They were identified as Amy R. Butler, 19, of Atlanta, and Abigail N. Suzman, 18, of Scarsdale, N.Y.
Members of the Forsyth Fire Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Army Corps of Engineers are assisting the Department of Natural Resources in the search and rescue efforts.
Authorities are using a combination of sonar, drones and remote-operated vehicles to narrow their search and find the remaining fisherman.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is expected to take several weeks to complete, according to the DNR.
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