Press Release | April 14, 2026
Pickens County Man Dies Following Fishing Accident On Lake Lanier – Georgia Outdoor News
The Georgia DNR is conducting its own investigation of the incident.
A Pickens County man was pronounced dead at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville after he fell from a boat into Lake Lanier Friday morning, April 10, 2026. Just before 9:45 a.m., Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) patrol deputies responded to a location in the 3200 block of Arrowhead Drive in Gainesville. A homeowner had called 911 to report a possible drowning.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they located the victim, Ronald Lamar Kirk, 75, of Talking Rock, unresponsive in the lake. A deputy pulled Mr. Kirk from the water and emergency medical personnel began lifesaving efforts before transporting him to the hospital. A doctor at the hospital pronounced Mr. Kirk deceased at 10:45 a.m.
The investigation at the scene determined Mr. Kirk and his 89-year-old uncle Joe Franklin Kirk of Talking Rock had been fishing when the younger Kirk’s lure became stuck on a dock. With one foot on the dock and the other in the boat, the victim attempted to free the lure.
He slipped and fell into the water. The uncle attempted to remove his nephew from the water but was unable to do so. He went to the nearest house to call for help.
Game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responded to the scene as well; DNR is conducting its own investigation.