Chapel Hill boater drowns at Jordan Lake, sheriff's office says
CHATHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man drowned Monday at Jordan Lake after he went into the water to try to retrieve a drifting boat, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office said.
Authorities responded shortly before 11:30 a.m. near a lake access area off Martha's Chapel Church Road in the vicinity of 605 Farrington Point Road.
The victim was identified as De Gui Yuan, 44, of Chapel Hill.
Investigators said Yuan and three friends had been boating on Jordan Lake when they beached their boat along the shoreline. The boat later began drifting away from shore, and Yuan went in to get it, "but encountered difficulty" and couldn't retrieve the boat or make it back to shore.
His body was recovered early Monday afternoon.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr. Yuan's family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time," Chief Deputy Steve Maynor said.
Yuan was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
As summer recreation activity continues on Jordan Lake and other waterways, the sheriff's office stressed that boaters and swimmers should wear a properly fitted life jacket whenever they are on the water.
Multiple agencies assisted with the response, including the North Chatham Fire Department, FirstHealth EMS, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
