A “drunk” Georgia man has been arrested after he allegedly bit an officer who tried to rescue him after he fell into a lake, officials say.
Game wardens were patrolling near Lake Lanier in Forsyth County, Georgia, when they spotted a personal watercraft idling in circles.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources told 11Alive that the wardens approached the boat and, upon reaching the vessel, found a kill switch lanyard still attached. Nearby, a man was swimming.
Eventually, officers stopped the vessel and tried to help the operator back on board.
However, according to the DNR, the wardens noticed that there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from him. The man resisted efforts to get him back onto the watercraft and even tried to swim away from the wardens.
Allegedly, he bit one of the wardens while officers tried to help him onto the boat.
The man has subsequently been taken into custody, but authorities did not tell 11Alive if the man has been charged in relation to the incident. Also, officials have yet to release his identity.
The DNR confirmed to WGJT Radio that the incident unfolded on Sunday.
Lake Lanier is located around 60 miles north of Atlanta, according to LakeLanier.com. It is the largest lake in Georgia, boasting around 700 miles of shoreline and 38,000 acres of water.
The site is a tourist hotspot, thanks in part to its size allowing for a range of boating and water-based sporting activities. It was formed in 1956 with the completion of the Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River.
Lake Lanier is also fed by the Chestatee River. Around 30 percent of the huge lake lies within Forsyth County, the website says.
According to 11Alive, the wardens were patrolling near Mary Alice Park when they spotted the circling vessel.
The Independent has contacted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for comment.
More details here...
