Sister, 22, and brothers, 4 and 3, drown in lake just hours after video showed them in LIFE JACKETS
Three siblings drowned in the Amity Recreation Area of Clarks Hill Lake, Georgia, on Tuesday, June 23. They have been identified as Raven Powell, 22, and her younger brothers Mason, 4, and Sawyer, 3. They all drowned just hours after they were videotaped swimming in the water while wearing lifejackets! The cause of this accident is still unclear. What makes it more mysterious is the fact that the last known photo of the trio show at least one of the boys wearing a lifejacket. Their cousin, Hannah Redfern, said their death was horrible. It's said that it took hours for the police to find their bodies and they haven't ruled out foul play yet.
Their cousin, Hannah Redfern, in a conversation with WRDW said, "They were our world. They mean everything to us. It's crazy how it happened within a blink of an eye, makes me not even want to come back to the lake again. Both boys were the happiest ever. You never seen them without a smile on their face unless they were hungry." The family member explained that the boys were adventurous and loved playing in the water and that the drowning was a shock. Talking about the incident, Redfern continued, "I have this video of me just lying there on the couch with both boys. At the end of the video, both grabbed me by my face and kissed me, and Sawyer had just learned to say I love you. He said, ‘I love you Redfern'". She ended by saying, “They are at peace now."
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Post finding the bodies, they were sent for further investigation at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab. WRDW also asked GBI if they have ruled out a foul play to which Pat Morgan, a member of the GBI replied, "We have not ruled out anything at this point as the autopsy will hopefully provide us with more information as well as the interviews and other investigative leads we are following." Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said that they responded to a call about three possible drownings at 9 pm and could find the bodies by 11 pm using sonar equipment as they searched with three game wardens.
Previous incidents at Clarks Hill Lake
This is not the first incident that has happened at Clarks Hill Lake. A little more than a year ago, two best friends identified as Eynn Wilson and Edward Kirk were on a boating excursion with their family and friends. 32-year-old Shontover Kirkland was charged with reckless conduct and involuntary manslaughter and recently pleaded guilty in the case. The search, however, wasn't easy as it took days for the officials to find their bodies. One major reason for this is just how deep the lake is, approximately 30 to 100 feet deep.
