Photo: WJCL
Five people are dead and four more injured after a boat collision in Georgia on Saturday morning, according to authorities, who said Sunday they recovered three bodies from the Wilmington River.
Mark McKinnon, public affairs officer for Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Law Enforcement Division, told PEOPLE that Georgia game wardens responded to a boating incident near the Oatland Island Wildlife Center docks where Richardson Creek and the Wilmington River meet in Chatham County.
Witnesses told authorities two center console boats carrying nine combined passengers — six in one vessel and three in the other — crashed into each other head on and traveling in opposite directions. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and three were initially missing, McKinnon said.
“The three missing victims were recovered this morning, bringing the number of deceased to five,” McKinnon confirmed in a statement. “The other four passengers suffered various injuries and were transported to Memorial Health Medical Center in Savannah.”
The deceased individuals have been identified as Christopher David Leffler, age 51, of Savannah; Lori Lynn Leffler, age 50, of Savannah; Zachary James Leffler, age 23, of Alpharetta; Nathan Leffler, age 17, of Savannah; and Robert Steven Chauncey, age 37, of Savannah.
Game wardens, Chatham County Marine Patrol, Savannah Fire, Chatham Emergency Services, and the United States Coast Guard immediately began searching for the missing victims using sector scan sonar and divers, recovering the last body early Sunday morning.
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The bodies were found in roughly 14 ft. of water in close proximity to each other, according to McKinnon. Two helicopters were also deployed to aid in the search.
source: people.com
