The body of a woman who is believed to have drowned was recovered in Lake Oconee by Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) law enforcement officers on Sunday morning, and authorities are still searching for the man she may have been with at the time of the incident.
Putnam County Deputy Coroner Andre Williams identified the woman as 49-year-old Joycelyn Nicole Wilson of Atlanta. Her body was found floating in Lake Oconee near the Long Shoals area.
Williams stated that the cause of death is currently undetermined and will remain so until an autopsy is conducted at the state crime lab in Decatur. He further confirmed that there were no visible markings or wounds on Wilson’s body at the time of recovery, indicating no immediate signs of foul play.
The circumstances surrounding Wilson’s death remain unclear. According to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, authorities were first alerted to an unoccupied boat that was seen circling in the water at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
However, this sighting was not initially reported to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) but instead to the DNR game wardens through their Grovetown office. Sheriff Sills noted that the PCSO was not contacted by the DNR until Sunday morning, when game wardens needed assistance in securing personal belongings from The Lodge, the hotel where Wilson and the missing man had been staying.
The search efforts for the missing boaters were extensive. On Sunday evening, Georgia DNR Corporal Taylor Bingham reported that game wardens had been utilizing sonar-equipped boats to aid in the search.
Wilson’s body was located at 9:55 a.m. on Sunday, but the search for the unidentified man continued throughout the day. Authorities eventually suspended their search at nightfall due to limited visibility but planned to resume operations on Monday morning.
Officials revealed that Wilson and the missing man had been out on an 11-foot Sun Dolphin vessel powered by an 18-horsepower motor. The circumstances that led to the boat being left unoccupied and spinning in circles remain unknown. Investigators have not yet determined whether the couple fell into the water accidentally or if other factors contributed to the incident.
The Georgia DNR law enforcement’s Critical Incident Reconstruction Team has been brought in to assist with the ongoing investigation. This specialized team is responsible for reconstructing boating incidents and gathering crucial evidence that could provide insight into what transpired before the tragedy.
They will analyze factors such as weather conditions, the mechanical state of the vessel, and any possible contributing elements that may have led to the fatal incident. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward.
The investigation remains active as officials work to determine the events leading up to Wilson’s death and continue searching for the missing man. The outcome of the autopsy and further forensic analysis will play a crucial role in understanding whether this was purely an accident or if other circumstances were involved.