Crime & Safety

Body of Fisherman Found In Allatoona Lake

Cherokee County fire officials said the Alpharetta man's body was found in about 10 feet of water near Little River Marina in Canton.

CANTON, GA -- Cherokee County fire crews have recovered the body of a man reported missing earlier this week in Cherokee County.

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Service responded to the call just before 7 p.m. Wednesday evening at Little River Marina on Bells Ferry Road near Canton.

A fisherman was reported missing and "had left all of his fishing gear, shoes, bag and cell phone on the dock," said Cherokee Battalion Chief Ricky Collett.

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The man's truck was still parked in the area, and other fishermen reported seeing the male walk up the dock ramp earlier in the day. Unfortunately, those men said they did not see the male return.

The Cherokee County Dive Team and the agency's special operations chief were dispatched to the scene. They began the search of the waters and after about 15 minutes, they located the body of the 46-year-old male in roughly 10 feet of water.

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Mark McKinnon, public affairs director for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, said the body was found around 10 p.m. Wednesday. The victim has been identified as Huy Anh Vu Dinh of Alpharetta.

"He had apparently been fishing from a dock at Little River and slipped in," he said, adding it appears the fisherman drowned.

Cherokee County fire added on its Facebook page that it does not appear foul play was part of the tragic discovery.

This latest incident comes nearly two months after crews with the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division recovered the bodies of Ronnie Bentley, 67, and James Mills, 55. Both men were fishing on the lake when two boats collided Feb. 2 near the Marina.

Mills' body was discovered hours after the initial crash, but Bentley's remains were found nearly three weeks later.

Return to Patch for updates.


Image via Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.