MACON, Ga. (BN24) — Authorities recovered the bodies of two young sisters and a man from the Ocmulgee River in Macon, Georgia, on Wednesday, a day after all three drowned while swimming at a popular middle Georgia park.
Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones identified the victims as Johnny Collins III, 28, Skyler Worthen, 10, and her 7-year-old sister, Summer McRae.
Investigators said the girls had been swimming at Amerson River Park on Tuesday afternoon when they began drifting into deeper water. Collins jumped in to try to save them, but all three disappeared beneath the surface.
It was not immediately clear what Collins’ relationship to the children was.
Emergency crews launched boats and used sonar-equipped divers and a helicopter to search the river. The official search was called off at sundown Tuesday night, but family members continued looking in the dark. The bodies were recovered after authorities resumed operations Wednesday morning.
Since the park opened in 2009, at least 14 people have drowned in this stretch of the Ocmulgee, local media reported. While the river remains shallow in some areas—where tubing companies operate and rope swings draw crowds—officials have long warned that strong currents and sudden drop-offs can quickly overwhelm swimmers.
The park was closed Wednesday during the search but is expected to reopen Thursday, deputies said.
