On 06/02/2023 at approximately 1725 hours, DNR Game Wardens (GW) responded to a boating incident at Habersham Marina on Lake Lanier.  

Upon arrival, I met with subject who advised he had transported the victim from the accident scene to the marina.  Subject further advised that he had witnessed the incident and saw the victim on a personal watercraft (PWC), jump a wave behind a boat and land very hard in the water.  

Subject advised he went over to the victim and noticed a large cut on his forehead which was bleeding and that he put the victim on his boat and transported him to the Marina.  Subject also stated that there were two other people riding PWCs with the victim and that one of them had towed the victim’s PWC from the scene.  Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were also on scene and advised that the victim was in an ambulance which was preparing to take him to the North Fulton Trauma Center for treatment.

I and the other GWs located the ambulance on scene where I and GW Corporal interviewed the victim inside the ambulance.  Operator stated that he and his two friends were riding their jet skis and jumping waves when an unexpected wave hit his jet ski which caused his feet to slip off and his head slam into the handle bar.   Operator further advised that he had been riding jet skis since he was fifteen years old, had completed a boater’s safety education course, was wearing a life vest at the time of the incident and was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Operator was transported by ambulance to the North Fulton Trauma Center without further incident.

On 06/03/2023, I spoke with the victim’s wife who advised that Operator had received 40 stitches, both internal and external, in his forehead.  She further advised that Operator was back home and that he was having some memory issues but seemed to be getting better.

Lake Lanier
CUMMING                       