Lake Lanier drownings include lifeguard, college athlete, firefighter

(CBS46) – Lake Lanier is close to setting some new records and it’s nothing to brag about. If you’re headed there this weekend, consider these statistics:

So far in 2016, we’ve had 12 deaths on the lake, and the average number is 6, and the summer’s not over.

Compare that to the highest number on record, which is 19 deaths in 1999.

Cocktail Cove is becoming 2016’s most lethal destination, with five of seven boat-related deaths occurring in those waters. Not all of this year’s fatalities involved alcohol, but what every victim had in common is not wearing a life jacket.

A lot of people out there might think that one of these life jackets is just killing their fun. They’re big, they’re bulky, and why should someone wear one who knows how to swim? Tell that to the last two guys who most recently died on Lake Lanier.

Read more from our partners at CBS 46 in Atlanta.

**Photo CBS46