Is Lake Lanier haunted? 'Do not swim' warning calls grow loud on Internet after Gainesville teen drowns
GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA: The Department of Natural Resources declared 17-year-old boy Cristofer Acosta-farias from Gainesville dead on Friday, July 24, after he drowned while swimming in Lake Lanier. Emergency crews were called to Balus Creek Park along Lake Lanier around 4 pm in response to a report that a teen boy “went under the water while swimming and never resurfaced” according to reports.
DNR reportedly said the body of the teenager submerged at 27-feet deep was recovered from the water around 5 pm using side-scan sonar. A few reports suggest that the drawing occurred when he was swimming from sick to the shore. Soon after hearing the news, shocked Internet users took to Twitter to warn people against going to Lake Lanier calling it “haunted”. A lot of have noted that the lake was built over graveyards, hence it is “cursed”.
While one user wrote, “PLEASE, for the love of all that is holy, STOP SWIMMING IN LAKE LANIER. It is a haunted lake built atop flooded buildings, graveyards, and roads. Stay out of the damn lake, y’all.” “Thank you! People don’t seem to believe GA locals when we talk about the dangers of Lake Lanier like its some sort of joke. No. Ppl need to listen up and at least stop swimming there. I can’t help but believe it’s cursed, because it was literally built on top of a cemetery.” added another.
Only a few weeks ago, Twitter was swept with a shockwave when a similar incident occurred. Two brothers, 21-year-old Kevin George Jr and 20-year-old Zion George drowned and died in the Murderkill River. When the news broke, Internet users took to Twitter to circulate some strange theories and speculations surrounding their tragic death, with many calling it haunted and dangerous. Some even suggested that it got the name for its scary anecdote.
Once again on July 24, Twitter users are seen widely discussing Cristofer’s death. Many of them have even asked why would someone even swim in a lake which holds a reputation for being dangerous. When one tweeted, “I don't live in GA and have never been to Lake Lanier but even I know not to go swimming there. RIP to those who have perished there”, another added, “I’m convinced people swimming in Lake Lanier as a dare because”.
Meanwhile, sharing a few facts about the lake, one tweeted, “I looked up Lake Lanier. Apart from being haunted and built over a cemetary, houses and part of an old town and even a race track, has also seen 160 fatalities since 1994...It's loaded with debris and only has visibility for 1 foot. DON'T SWIM HERE! #FFS”