So, How Will Lake Lanier Be A Part Of The Water Park?
It’s unclear if the water used in the new park will be sourced from Lake Lanier. However, Margaritaville officials clarified that their park guests will not have all-access to what folks call haunted waters.
“After careful consideration, we have decided to no longer offer swimming in the lake area. While we understand that this may be disappointing for some, we believe it is the right decision to maintain a safe environment for all our guests to enjoy and will allow us to put added focus on other parts of the park to offer a better overall experience for all our water park guests.”
WSB-TV reports that park officials haven’t clarified their specific worries about the waters. However, they did say that there will be lake access in a “controlled environment” at the Aquatic Adventure attraction.
So, from the looks of it, the waterslide coaster won’t be sending its riders straight into Lake Lanier’s waters. Still, these facts haven’t stopped folks on social media from bugging out over the May 4 opening of the attraction.
Lanier Has A Lil’ Shaky History
On a serious note, safety is the keyword here, roomies. Every year Lanier becomes a trending topic, primarily for the loss of life in the recreational waters.
In July 2023, a 24-year-old man named Thomas Shepard Milner passed away after he dived off a dock at the lake. An investigation determined that he died from electric shock drowning due to impacted wiring from a boat lift attached to the dock.
Not even two months later, another young man passed away at Lake Lanier. Gavrie Alexander Whitlock, 23, died after falling into Lake Lanier in September. He never resurfaced. His body was found in 17-foot-deep water on the same evening he fell in.
At the time, his death marked the eighth one in Lanier’s waters for 2023.