A Georgia family is mourning a young father who died during a risky game at a lake over Memorial Day weekend.
Authorities said Chance Werner was playing on a dock at Allatoona Lake, about 35 miles northwest of Atlanta, when he drowned Saturday afternoon.
Upon arrival, witnesses stated the 18-year-old was playing a game with friends during which a person would sit in a shopping cart tied to a pole, then the cart was forcefully pushed off the dock,causing the person to "pop" out of the cart and the person would swim to the dock.
This time, however, the cart was tied to Werner - not a pole, officials said. The cart pulled him into the water and he did not resurface.
"It's a tragic thing; that little time period where the rope got put onto him and where he got into the water is still a very gray area. We have no answers for that yet," said Fred Werner, Chance Werner's father.
The teen's dad said his son had gone to the dock for a party with nearly 50 people in attendance. Fred Werner wonders if his son was dared into proving he could pull up the cart by his own strength. No one is sure if anyone tried to dive in after him.
"With all these shows that are on cable and YouTube, I mean, you never know what's going on," said Fred Werner.
The 18-year-old was just a few months shy of graduating from high school. The family is now raising money for his funeral. Fred Werner said his son may have been drinking, but they still haven't heard from the Bartow County Sheriff's Office about possible charges.
