Georgia Son Drowns While Trying to Save His Confused Father Who Stepped Off Their Boat

West Point Dam. Adrien Lamarre/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

A Jonesboro man was found drowned in West Point Lake near LaGrange, Georgia, on Monday.

“Deputies with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to West Point Lake under the Cameron Mill Road bridge regarding a possible drowning,” the Sheriff’s Office said to wrbl.com. “Once on the scene, deputies were advised that a 34-year old male had jumped in the water from his boat in an attempt to save his father, 64-years of age, who had accidentally fell in the water as the boat was tied under the bridge.”

The body has been identified by the Troup County Sheriff’s Office as Jeremiah Israel, according to the LaGrange Daily News.

Israel and his father were fishing on Sunday, according to Troup County Sheriff’s Sgt. Stewart Smith. Both fell asleep after tying their boat to the bridge that night.

At midnight, the father, thinking they were at home, mistakenly walked out of the boat to find a bathroom. The son then jumped into the water to save his dad.

Israel’s father was saved by a group of boaters and treated at WellStar West Georgia, said Smith. He has since been released.

Unfortunately, Israel never appeared again until his body was recovered by the Sheriff’s Office.

Upon news of his death, some of Israel’s friends took to Facebook to express their grief.

On the last post on Israel’s personal Facebook account, made on May 26, friends conveyed their prayers and condolences to the family.

One said: “RIP. You did what any loving son would do. You helped save your dad.”

Another commented: “Damn. Went out being the funny spirit he always was.”

The incident is being investigated as an accident by Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources. The scene of the accident has been blocked off for the investigation.

“Due to a law enforcement operation on West Point Lake, boaters use caution in the area of Yellow Jacket / Cameron Mill Rd. bridge. Also the Yellow Jacket boat ramp is closed until further notice,” the Troup County Sheriff’s Office tweeted on May 27.

West lake point is a man-made reservoir impounded by the West Point Dam. The dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Chattahoochee River to provide flood control and hydroelectric power.