Body found in submerged car pulled from Lake Lanier near Tidwell Park

A body was recovered Monday after dive teams pulled a submerged vehicle from Lake Lanier near the Tidwell Park boat ramp in Forsyth County, officials and media coverage show. Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery and said deputies and investigators are handling the case; Hall County dive teams assisted in getting the car out of the water.

Kevin Burris, identified by WSB, said he discovered the vehicle as he arrived to launch a boat and immediately called 911. “As soon as I went to pull back up to move my truck, it was, I could see it, see it down in the water,” Burris said. He described visibility at the ramp, saying, “Water is really clean right now and got to look in and could see.” Burris told reporters he “watched as authorities rushed in” after making the call.

Aerial footage from local news helicopters documented the recovery work. WSB’s NewsChopper 2 spotted Hall County dive teams and Forsyth County investigators pulling what WSB described as a red sedan from the lake. FOX 5’s SKYFOX also flew over the Tidwell Park boat-ramp area and “captured deputies and a dive team working to remove the vehicle,” while FOX 5 reported an ambulance was on scene during the operation.

Neighbors and passersby gathered near the blocked-off park boat ramp as crews worked. Michael Kruse, who came to Tidwell Park with his 5-year-old son after hearing helicopters, said, “I heard helicopters, so we came down.” Kruse added, “The park was blocked off, and we saw the red car being pulled out.” A long-time resident, Kruse said he’s lived in the area 20 years and recalled a similar incident in 2017: “I’ve been here 20 years, and I’ve actually seen this happen before, in 2017.” He added, “And my thoughts were, hopefully nobody’s in the vehicle.”

Authorities have not released the identity of the person found in the vehicle. Atlanta News First and syndications reported that next of kin had not yet been notified and that the body has not been identified; FOX 5 said the name will not be released until next of kin are notified. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the investigation. FOX 5 reported that the sheriff’s office told that outlet foul play is not suspected, while other outlets did not include that determination in their initial coverage.

Investigators have not said how the vehicle ended up in Lake Lanier or how long it had been in the water. Forsyth County deputies and the Hall County dive team led the on-water recovery effort on Feb. 16, and officials on scene have not announced a timeline for releasing additional information, including any coroner findings or an official identification.