Milledgeville teen drowns at Lake Sinclair

Published 12:47 pm Tuesday, June 7, 2016

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The body of a 17-year-old Milledgeville resident was recovered Monday morning from Lake Sinclair after he apparently drowned while on the water with friends Sunday night, according to authorities.

The victim was identified as Andre Mason Jr., who lived at 301 Cicada Drive, according to an incident report filed by Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Raymond Mosley.

Mason’s body was recovered shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sheriff’s Office Patrol Capt. Michael Lumpkin told The Union-Recorder.

Rangers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division had searched for Mason since Sunday night after the recreational float Mason and two others were using began to deflate.

The accident happened between 6:05 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. in the Rocky Creek Cove area of the lake not far from 127 Rocky Creek Court.

The tragedy is the first of its kind on the lake this year.

The deputy said in his report that when he arrived on the scene, he talked with officials with Baldwin County Fire Rescue, as well as several witnesses.

The deputy said in the report that he was told a 17-year-old who had been on the lake had been down in the water for several minutes and had not resurfaced.

Deputy Sgt. Shawn Tapley joined fire department personnel in a search for the missing teen, but they were unsuccessful.

Dive personnel with the Georgia State Patrol also responded. Cpl. Mark Riley with the state patrol searched the waters, while state rangers searched in boats for the presumed drowning victim.

The deputy said he later talked with four witnesses who were also on the lake when the accident happened.

Cameron Humphrey said he and his dad, Bert, had gotten on a jet ski and that when they returned they saw Chase Humphrey and Chico Mosley waving their arms, as if they were trying to get their attention.

Cameron Humphrey told the deputy that the two had told him and his dad that Mason had gone under the water and had not come back up, according to the report.

The deputy in the report said Bert Humphrey told him that before he and his son went riding away on the jet ski that he had asked Mason if he could swim.

Bert Humphrey said he handed Mason a life jacket and told him to wear it and not to take it off if he was going to be in the water, according to the report.

Bert Humphrey said he dove into the waters after the two boys reported Mason missing, but he wasn’t able to find him.

Witness Chico Mosley told the deputy that he, Chase Humphrey and Mason had been floating on a recreational float when it began to deflate. At the time, Mason was wearing a life jacket.

Mosley said Mason started panicking when their float started deflating, and he began wiggling around and that his twisting around caused the life jacket to come off, according to the report.

Mosley said Mason went underneath the water and that he swam to a nearby dock to get help.