The family of the two boys killed in a boating accident on Lake Lanier will able to lay the boys to rest – two weeks after they were killed.
The funeral for Griffin and Jake Prince is Tuesday at noon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Suwanee Dam Road in Suwanee.
A memorial was held Monday night in the boys’ honor.
"While we would gladly return all the blessings we have received from God since the day of this tragedy to have our two boys back: Yet we know that reunion will be delayed until a future time and place," the family said in the statement.
The family also says that they have been overwhelmed by thousands of people from this country and 19 others who have offered to help and who have donated money to the boys’ memorial fund.
"All of us have had our estimate of humanity and the goodness of people's hearts raised to a much higher level," Gary Hansen, the boy’s grandfather, said last week at a fundraiser for the family.
The boys were killed June 18 when an alleged drunk boater crashed into the family's pontoon. 9-year-old Jake died at the scene. It took search crews nine more days to find 13-year-old Griffin's body.
"This was an outstanding example of how a team of professionals can accomplish even the most difficult of assignments and of how they were motivated not just by a sense of duty, but of how this was also a work of love, which has helped to bring our beloved Griffin's body home, so he can be honored and buried with his brother,” said the family in their statement.
The family has invited all of the public safety responders who helped search for Griffin’s body to the funeral. They will have a special place of honor designated for them during the service.
The criminal investigation is still ongoing.
Paul Bennett is already charged with being drunk behind the wheel of his boat when he crashed it into the Prince’s pontoon.
Those charges could be upgraded to homicide once the investigation is finished. Police have not said what other evidence they uncovered near the area where Griffin's body was found.
