The body of a Statesboro man missing for 10 days after a boating accident was found Tuesday.
Chris Thompson, 25, was with his father-in-law Steve Lewis, Adrien, when they were both involved a boating accident June 9 at Lake Sinclair.
A massive 10-day search had been scaled back, but family members who continued to search found Thompson's body late Tuesday near the site of the crash between two fishing boats, said Robin Hill, spokesman with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Thompson's father, Randy, told the Macon Telegraph family members were the only ones searching for his son when the body was discovered.
"I found my son,"he said. "There wasn't a single DNR agent on the lake. That's an absolute shame."
Melissa Cummings, public affairs coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources, said a DNR ranger was dispatched to the scene immediately.
Thirty-one divers from several counties had searched the area Saturday, Hill said. After failing to find Thompson's body after 10 days, officials decided to scale back the massive search efforts. "There was not a whole lot more that could be done," she said.
Lewis and Thompson were fishing on their boat around 11 p.m. June 9, "when their vessel was struck by a 21-foot Stratos bass boat going approximately 50 mph. At the scene of the incident, Lewis’ body was recovered, but Thompson’s was not," Cummings said.
The two occupants of the Stratos boat, Larry Jones and William Jones, were ejected from their boat upon impact, she said. They were treated and released.
Agencies involved in the search include: Georgia DNR more than 10 employees using boats and a helicopter); Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Bibb County Dive Team, Houston County Dive Team, Georgia State Patrol (helicopter), Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Management (sonar equipment provided), Gordon County EMS (submersible camera), Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Putnam County Fire/Rescue, Laurens County Dive Team and others, she said.
Chris Thompson, 25, was with his father-in-law Steve Lewis, Adrien, when they were both involved a boating accident June 9 at Lake Sinclair.
A massive 10-day search had been scaled back, but family members who continued to search found Thompson's body late Tuesday near the site of the crash between two fishing boats, said Robin Hill, spokesman with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Thompson's father, Randy, told the Macon Telegraph family members were the only ones searching for his son when the body was discovered.
"I found my son,"he said. "There wasn't a single DNR agent on the lake. That's an absolute shame."
Melissa Cummings, public affairs coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources, said a DNR ranger was dispatched to the scene immediately.
Thirty-one divers from several counties had searched the area Saturday, Hill said. After failing to find Thompson's body after 10 days, officials decided to scale back the massive search efforts. "There was not a whole lot more that could be done," she said.
Lewis and Thompson were fishing on their boat around 11 p.m. June 9, "when their vessel was struck by a 21-foot Stratos bass boat going approximately 50 mph. At the scene of the incident, Lewis’ body was recovered, but Thompson’s was not," Cummings said.
The two occupants of the Stratos boat, Larry Jones and William Jones, were ejected from their boat upon impact, she said. They were treated and released.
Agencies involved in the search include: Georgia DNR more than 10 employees using boats and a helicopter); Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Bibb County Dive Team, Houston County Dive Team, Georgia State Patrol (helicopter), Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Management (sonar equipment provided), Gordon County EMS (submersible camera), Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Putnam County Fire/Rescue, Laurens County Dive Team and others, she said.