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4-year-old girl, teen die in separate Georgia drownings over holiday weekend

Baldwin County Public Safety Dive Team (Baldwin County Fire Rescue)

PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says two people drowned, including a teen and four-year-old child during the July 4 holiday weekend.

Around 4:40 p.m. on Friday, game wardens responded to a PWC incident near Optimist Island in Putnam County on Lake Sinclair.

Authorities say the PWC with an operator and passenger were turning when both fell off. The operator had on a life jacket, however, the passenger did not.

The operator was picked up by a passing boater, officials say. The people on the passing boat attempted to help the passenger by giving him a throwable device, but he went under water. The game wardens immediately began a search. At 12:05 a.m. on July 6th, the victim was recovered by the Baldwin County Dive Team.

Game wardens responded to an overturned pontoon boat with 12 occupants on Lake Oconee in Putnam County around 10:20 p.m. on Friday.

Witnesses said ”when a large wave came over the front of the boat, the passengers began to panic and ran to the back of the boat, causing it to capsize,” Georgia DNR said.

Authorities began rescuing the occupants from the water and determined that a 4-year-old girl was missing, but she had been wearing a personal flotation device. A former lifeguard dove under the boat and located the missing girl, officials said.

A game warden performed CPR to the girl with an off-duty fireman and a nurse. The four-year-old girl was taken to Putnam General Hospital, and later flown to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

The girl later died late Sunday evening or early Monday morning, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

The identity of both victims were not released.

During the July 4 holiday weekend, Georgia Department of Public Safety officials say 610 drivers were cited for distracted driving, 433 DUIs were issued and 203 crashes were also reported. Among the crashes, 13 were fatal.

Seven people were injured in a boat explosion near Lake Lanier on Friday.

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