Lake Lanier's Deadly Summer Continues With 7th Drowning of 2026

Terrell Shelton, 21, of Pendergrass, Georgia, disappeared beneath the surface of Lake Lanier on Saturday afternoon while swimming with a group of friends near Robinson Park in Gainesville. His friends looked back and realized he was gone, then called for help. Search teams spent roughly eight and a half hours combing the water before Department of Natural Resources game wardens located his body just before 11:30 p.m. using a remotely operated vehicle. The body was found in approximately 14 feet of water. Authorities said the water is roughly 30 feet deep where the swimmer was last seen.

Shelton's death marks the seventh drowning on Lake Lanier this season.

The Eight-Hour Search

Hall County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to Robinson Park around 2:40 p.m. Saturday after receiving reports of a swimmer who went underwater and did not resurface. Shelton had been swimming with friends toward a small island near the park when he disappeared. Hall County Fire Rescue and Georgia DNR officers responded alongside deputies, deploying rescue boats, sonar equipment, and dive teams in the area.