Teen’s body found after boat found circling on lake north of Atlanta

The body of a 17-year-old boy was found in a lake north of Atlanta after his small unmanned boat was discovered there a day earlier. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources located Jackson Cole Croft of Woodstock around 5 p.m. on Friday. Family members consoled each other at the scene.

The missing boater was identified as Croft of Woodstock after his empty boat was found circling near the Little River area of Allatoona Lake on Thursday night. The lake is situated 37 miles north of Atlanta. Crews from Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services responded to a report of a boat spinning in place without an operator on Thursday at 5:20 p.m. They managed to stop and secure the boat.

DNR game wardens and Cherokee County divers utilized sonar technology to search for the boater. Search efforts resumed on Friday morning with various agencies employing a remotely operated vehicle with a camera. DNR spokesperson Mark McKinnon expressed the challenging nature of the search due to the lake’s depth and underwater obstacles, including submerged trees.

McKinnon stated that they believe the teen was alone on the small boat, although it’s unclear if Croft was wearing a life jacket. Family members mentioned they were unaware of the teen’s plans.