Child drowns in Habersham County lake while playing with friends
Personnel from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division and Habersham County Emergency Services remove the tape the yellow tape that had marked the operational area during Saturday afternoon’s incident in the swimming area
HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. - A 12-year-old boy from Cornelia, Georgia, drowned in a 100-acre lake while playing with friends late Saturday afternoon.
A spokesperson from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the child was in a designated swimming area on Lake Russell when the incident happened. He was reportedly underwater for over 20 minutes before the rescue team could get to the scene.
Habersham County EMS pulled the boy from the water, and rushed him to a helicopter waiting at Mount Airy Town Hall. The flight crew and EMS workers said their resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
The DNR identified the child as Brian Ramirez.
MAP OF AREA
This U.S. Forest Service map shows Lake Russell. (Provided by Habersham County)