Son rushes in as dad falls from jet ski and struggles to swim, cops say. Dad found dead
A son rushed to reach his father after he fell off a jet ski and struggled to stay afloat on a Georgia river, officials said.
Then, days after the dad disappeared under the surface of the water, he was found dead, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division.
The search for the missing father kicked off Thursday, June 29, when game wardens were called to a report of a jet ski incident. It happened in the Warners Landing area of the Satilla River in Brantley County.
“The operator of the jet ski was seen by his son, from across the river, falling into the water when he hit the throttle,” state officials wrote in a news release. “The son began to swim towards him when he saw the father struggling to swim and then go under.”
The father’s disappearance sparked a multi-day search involving a flight crew, river patrols and sonar technology. Then on July 2, game wardens and Wayne County officials found the missing man’s body, officials said.
He was identified as 55-year-old Steve Elkins of Atkinson.
Brantley County is roughly 100 miles southwest of Savannah.
This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 9:26 AM with the headline "Son rushes in as dad falls from jet ski and struggles to swim, cops say. Dad found dead."
