Son Dies Trying to Save Dad Who Sleepily Stepped in Lake

Jermiah Israel and his father were fishing on West Point Lake
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2019 2:02 PM CDT
Son Dies Trying to Save Dad Who Sleepily Stepped in Lake
Stock images.   (Getty Images)

In a sad story from Georgia, a son dived into a lake to save his father—but only the father came out alive, the LaGrange Daily News reports. Seems Jermiah Israel, 34, was sleeping alongside his dad Sunday night on boat tied to a bridge after a day of fishing. The dad woke up just after midnight and apparently walked into West Point Lake, thinking he was still home. Israel jumped in to save him but drowned, while the 64-year-old father was rescued by nearby boaters and taken to a hospital and released.

Witnesses tried to rescue Israel but couldn't get him out of the lake, WTVM reports. The Troup County Sheriff's Office and state Rangers soon searched the waters for Israel, and recovered him around 10:45am Monday. Neither father nor son was wearing a life jacket. Authorities say they they consider the case an accidental drowning. (More drowning stories.)

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