Body Of Missing Boater Recovered At High Rock Lake
The Latest:
The body of the missing boater was recovered from High Rock Lake.Β George Goins, 51, of Lexington jumped off a boat Sunday and never resurfaced.Β Officials say his body was found on the shoreline near Crane Creek.
Original Story (Posted Sept. 3, 2018):
ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. – Monday night, crews suspended their search for a missing man on High Rock Lake.
Investigators say 51-year-old George Goins jumped off a moving boat Sunday and may have drowned.
Goins wasn’t wearing a life jacket and police say alcohol played a role.
Crews spent Labor Day combing the water using sonar, dive teams, even a blood hound seen on shore.
The narrow lake runs between Rowan and Davidson counties.
30 people have died in boating accidents in North Carolina this year, making it the deadliest in the past 20 years.
Sergeant William Laton with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission says one reason is because of population growth.
More people are buying homes near lakes, leading to more people in the water.
“When you look at more boats, there’s unfortunately more opportunity for bad things to happen,” Laton says.
He says fortunately Charlotte-area lakes haven’t followed the statewide trend.
“We’ve been really fortunate in this area, we’ve had very few fatal incidents this summer, so we’re glad to see that,” Laton says.
Crews on High Rock Lake will resume with a more limited search Tuesday.
