Three Siblings Drown in Georgian Lake on the Same Day

Clark Hills Lake sits a few miles northwest of Augusta, GA on the border of Georgia and South Carolina. This is the second deadly incident to occur there in a little more than 12 months.

Three siblings, including two young boys and a 22-year-old woman drowned in a lake in Georgia on the same day on Thursday.

Authorities stated that the siblings drowned at the Amity Recreation Area on Clarks Hills Lake sometime after 5 p.m. The bodies of Raven Powell, Mason Powell, 4; and Sawyer Powell, 3, were recovered from the lake and sent to the crime lab for an autopsy. Authorities were alerted of a possible triple downing around 9 p.m. leading to the gruesome discovery.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) stated that foul play has not been ruled out; authorities hope that the autopsy will provide some answers on how the investigation will proceed.

The victims’ cousin, Hannah Redfern, spoke with local media, describing the boys as happy children who were excited to visit the lake with their older sister.

“There are no words to describe it other than horrible. It’s crazy how it happened within a blink of an eye,” she said. “They were our world. They mean everything to us.”

The boys’ bodies were recovered by bystanders; Raven’s body remained missing until law enforcement used SONAR equipment to find her shortly before 11 p.m.

The lake is no stranger to tragedy, just over a year ago two friends, Eynn Wilson and Edward Kirk drowned in the same area while on a boating trip with friends and family. Shontover Kirkland, 32, was charged with reckless conduct and involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded guilty last week.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is collaborating with the GBI and Lincoln County to investigate the case.