Brantley County

Son tries to save dad who fell off jet ski into SE Ga. river, dad’s body recovered 3 days later

By WSBTV.com News Staff and ActionNewsJax.com News Staff

Jet ski Stock photo of a jet ski on a lake. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, in cooperation with a host of law enforcement partners, thwarted a human smuggling attempt Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, in which a jet ski was used to bring Brazilian migrants into the United States from Canada. (Andrey Znamenskyi/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

By WSBTV.com News Staff and ActionNewsJax.com News Staff

BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. — A man is dead after officials say he was involved in a jet ski accident in Southeast Georgia, our Atlanta sister station WSB-TV reports.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said on Thursday at 6 p.m., game wardens responded to an incident involving a jet ski on the Satilla River at Warner’s Landing in Brantley County.

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According to the investigation, the man driving the jet ski was seen by his son from across the river falling into the water when he hit the throttle.

The son began to swim towards the victim when he saw him struggling to swim and then go under.

When game wardens arrived, they began using side scan sonar and patrolling the river to locate the missing man.

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On Sunday at 9:40 a.m., Wayne County EMA and DNR game wardens recovered the man’s body from the river.

Officials identified the victim as 55-year-old Steve Elkins of Atkinson.

Authorities did not identify Elkins’ son.

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