1 recovered, search for second missing boater continues on Lake Lanier

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A body of one of the two boaters who went missing Wednesday evening after a collision with another boat on Lake Lanier in Forsyth County was recovered. They have not released the identity yet as crews continue their recovery mission Thursday.

Authorities said the two men were neighbors from Cumming who had gone fishing together. They were identified as Brianislav Prazich, 59, and Nicholas Schimweg, 38.

Officials said they received a 911 call shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said a Bass-type fishing boat and a 23-foot cabin cruiser crashed on the water.

Prazich and Schimweg were on the fishing boat. The three people on the cruiser suffered non-life-threatening injuries. At least one was taken to North Fulton County Medical Center.

They were identified Thursday as Scott Butler, 55, of Atlanta; Amy Butler, 19, of Atlanta; and Abigail Suzman, 18, of Scarsdale, N.Y.

RELATED: DNR: 2 boaters missing after boat collision on Lake Lanier

DNR, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Hall County Dive Team, and the Army Corps of Engineers assisted in the search, which resumed Thursday morning after being called off Wednesday night because of darkness.

“It’s very important to us all of the people that will be here today, from whatever agency… It’s very important to every one of them to recover these two men and to bring closure for the family,” said Sgt. Lee Brown of the Georgia DNR.

The search was complicated by the deep water, about 80 to 100 feet, and debris and trees on the bottom of the lake.