5 dead after boats collided with each other in the river Ga
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. – Five people have died after two boats sank in the Wilmington River in Georgia, said a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
According to DNR, the hunters were called to a boating accident on the Wilmington River, near the docks of the Oatland Island Wildlife Center, where Richardson Creek and the Wilmington River meet in Chatham County in 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
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Witnesses said two center console ships were heading in opposite directions when they crashed into each other. The boats had a total of nine people on board. Six were on one ship and three on another.
The deaths of two of the victims were confirmed at the scene and three more were missing. The bodies of these three people were found at 9 a.m. this Sunday.
The victims who died in the accident were identified as:
- Christopher David Leffler, 51, of Savannah
- Lori Lynn Leffler, 50, of Savannah
- Zachary James Leffler, 23, of Alpharetta
- Nathan Leffler, 17, of Savannah
- Robert Steven Cauncey, 37, of Savannah
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the four Lefflers who died in the crash were all family members.
The other four passengers were injured and taken to Savannah Memorial Health Medical Center. Its current conditions are unknown.
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Mark Christopher Stegall, 45, of Savannah, has been arrested and charged with navigating under the influence.
DNR says the incident is under investigation, which could take six to eight weeks.
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