An Ellijay man drowned in a portion of Lake Allatoona in Cherokee County Thursday. Witnesses reported that Jackie Merrell, 54, was swimming out in the water to his dog when he went under.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), at approximately 9:45 a.m., Thursday, July 20, game wardens and Cherokee County Fire and Rescue responded to Lake Allatoona’s Little River Boat Ramp. They learned that Merrell had gone missing near the Little River falls.
The Cherokee County Dive Team located Merrell in 15 feet of water. He was transported to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Mark McKinnon, of the Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division, confirmed that Merrell is the second person to drown in the a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake this summer.
Another man drowned June 10 after falling off the back of a pontoon boat that was tied to a dock, he said.