FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 55-year-old man's body has been recovered from Lake Lanier after he drowned Friday afternoon, authorities said.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, just after 4:30 p.m. Georgia Game wardens responded to West Bank Park on the lake.
Authorities said 55-year-old Jeffrey McElfresh, of Louisville, Kentucky, was paddle boarding without a life jacket. DNR said the pool noodle McElfresh had floated away from him.
"He attempted to retrieve it, became tired and went under," DNR said in a news release.
They said he reappeared shortly after, but went underwater again and didn't resurface.
His body was recovered a short time later by Hall County Fire Service divers, according to DNR officials.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said Buford Dam Road was closed earlier but has since reopened.