Body of Cumming Man Found on Lake Lanier

The body of a 62-year-old Cumming man, missing on Lake Lanier since Aug. 24, was recovered over the Labor Day weekend by authorities.

Stephen Bryk was discovered by one of the county boat patrols at about 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, in the north end of the lake in a cove at the 8200 block of Dogwood Trail, according to Capt. Tim House with the (FCSO).

On Wednesday, Aug. 24, the family of Bryk reported that he was missing from home. During the search for him it was determined that he had taken his pontoon boat out of its dock and took it out on the lake.

House told Cumming Patch that the boat appeared to have had mechanical problems. 

"To the best of our knowledge the boat had some issues and he evidently had taken it out [on the lake] and had mechanical failure based on what we found when we discovered the boat 11 days ago," he said. "It looked like somebody had been working on the motor."

House also said it would be "speculation" of how Byrk got into the water.

In a FCSO news release, Bryk was not on the boat or in proximity of the boat following an extensive search of the area that was conducted by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the and the Georgia Department Of Natural Resources.

An autopsy to determine cause of death is being conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) in Decatur.

Kip Adams of the Forsyth County Coroner’s Office stated there are no visual signs of foul play.