Walter Juarez Guardado: Body of Georgia father reported missing after he fell off a jet ski recovered by authorities
ROSWELL, GEORGIA: Authorities announced that the body of a father who was reported missing after he fell off a jet ski in a Georgia lake, was recovered Monday, October 23.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), authorities were notified of a possible drowning Saturday at East Bank Park in Gwinnett County on Lake Lanier.
The department said that the victim, identified as Walter Juarez Guardado, 37, of Roswell, was riding a jet ski without wearing a life jacket, adding that he fell off the vehicle and swam to shore.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources issued a statement after finding the victim's body
“A witness on shore stated that they believe the man swam back out to retrieve his [jet ski], went under, and didn’t resurface,” the DNR’s statement continued. ”Gwinnett County Fire Department searched using aviation and boat mounted sonar until dark.
Game Wardens searched all day on Sunday using SONAR equipment, but the man was not located.”
Guardado’s girlfriend had been looking for him
According to NBC affiliate WXIA-TV, Guardado’s girlfriend had been looking for him Saturday evening but was unable to locate him. Crews from Gwinnett and Hall County fire departments took over the nighttime search with the rescue mission growing over the weekend.
The search resumed Monday morning, said the DNR, and Guardado’s body was recovered from 20 feet of water around 12 pm local time.
Guardado’s family told ABC affiliate WSB-TV that the victim was the father of two girls.
They described him as a family man who ran his own business. “He cares about family a lot,” Guardado’s oldest daughter, Angie Juarez, told the station. “He cares about his daughters and his mother. Everything he did was for us.”
A GoFundMe was launched to pay for Guardado’s funeral expenses
A GoFundMe was launched to pay for Guardado’s funeral expenses and provide financial assistance for his family. The fundraiser has generated more than $16,500 as of Wednesday morning.
“Walter was a loving father of two daughters, Angie and Valentina," read the GoFundMe description. “He was such an adventurous, athletic, and caring person. His family and friends meant the whole world to him.” “Thank you all who showed their love and support during this difficult time of our lives. May God bless you and your loved ones.”
According to the reports of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, officials said Guardado is the 12th person to drown in the lake this year.
