Rescuers Find Body of Swimmer Missing at Lake Lanier

Rescue workers found Monday the body of a man they believed drowned Saturday evening in Lake Lanier at Buford Dam Park, according the incident report provided to Cumming Patch by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Authorities began looking for Ciro Jimenez Beltrono, 37, of Forest Park after being called to the location at about 8 p.m. Saturday, according to Melissa Cummings, spokesperson with the DNR.

Friends said they last saw Beltrono wading in the water at about 6 p.m. He reportedly couldn't swim and was not wearing a life jacket.

"The victim was with a church group on Saturday at Lake Lanier at the swimming area they were at," said Cummings."

Although authorities located what they thought was a body under the surface, it was out of reach. The Hall County Dive Team was called in to assist, but the search was called off when the victim could not be located.

After returning to the scene Monday morning, rescuers quickly found the body of Beltrono floating on top of the water in the area where he was originally thought to have entered the water, said Cummings.

Crews for the Forsyth County and Hall County dive teams, Dawson County Emergency Services K9 Unit, Gwinnett Swift Water Team, the Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers assisted in the search.

The man's body has been turned over to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner for determination of cause of death.

Liz Kennedy contributed to this report.