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Family of man who drowned in lake pushes for stricter boating laws
Georgia law requires life jackets on board on boats, but doesn't require anyone to wear one. The family of a drowned man hopes the lesson they learned from their tragedy can save someone's life.
Family and friends remember a man who drowned in a Georgia lake. The accident happened on Lake Sinclair when the boat he was on hit something in the water.
Officials with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources used sonar to find the body after the 42-year-old Patrick Jason Gilbert was thrown from his boat.
Family members say his daughter tried to save him but couldn’t.
"He lost footing and fell in the water and the wind was really strong and started pushing the boat away from him. The wind pushed the boat faster than he could get to it," Richard Gilbert said.
Richard Gilbert is still trying to process the loss of his brother.
"It was a normal everyday thing. He took off about 100 yards away, and they hit something in the water. They hit a stump or log, and it hit the bottom of the boat then hit the motor. The entire boat listed to the right really, really hard," Richard Gilbert said.
Officials with the DNR confirmed the March 22 incident on Lake Sinclair where Gilbert ended up thrown into the water.
"My niece tried to get the boat and drive it back but it was too damaged. At that point she just saw her daddy drowning and she dove in the water to save him," Richard Gilbert said. "She was trying to hold him up and he was heavy. And she was holding him up it was pulling her down. We guess he pushed her away and he just sunk."
Searchers found Gilbert’s body the next day.
"That was the type of love his children had for him and he had for them. Both of them were trying to give their life for the other one," Richard Gilbert said.
Richard says his brother had plenty of life jackets onboard the boat but wasn’t wearing one because it isn’t required by law. The law states you must have one on board.
The man's brother said he has reached out to the governor's office and both Georgia U.S Senators to change legislation and wants wearing a life jacket to be a requirement no matter what. He’s waiting to hear back.
As this family prays for healing they hope to do their part to save the next family from an incident like this.
"I don’t wear a life jacket, but I will now and everyone in my boat will wear one for my brother," Gilbert said.
Officials with the DNR confirm they used what’s called side scan sonar ultimately finding the body in 10 feet of water.
Click here if you would like to help the family.
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