Searchers recover 2 sisters and man who drowned in river at Georgia park

MACON, Ga. (AP) — The bodies of two young sisters and a man were found Wednesday after they drowned in a river at a middle Georgia park.

Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones tells local news outlets that 28-year-old Johnny Collins III, 10-year-old Skyler Worthen and 7-year-old Summer McRae were recovered Wednesday from the Ocmulgee River in Macon.

Worthen and McRae, sisters, were swimming at Amerson River Park on Tuesday when they started drifting into the deeper waters. Collins jumped in to help, but all three went underwater and did not come back up.

Officials couldn’t immediately confirm the man’s relationship to the children.

Boats, divers with sonar and a helicopter deployed to look for the people. They suspended the search after sundown Tuesday, but family members kept looking after dark. The bodies were found after officials resumed their efforts Wednesday morning.

At least 14 people have drowned at the park since it opened in 2009, according to news reports. The Ocmulgee is shallow in portions of the park, and it hosts a commercial tubing operation as well as rope swings for jumping into the water. But officials have said in the past that the river gets deeper quickly and has a strong current that can sweep people away.

The park was closed Wednesday during the search, but sheriff’s deputies said it will reopen Thursday.