MACON, Ga. — A 19-year-old drowned at Amerson River Park Friday evening while swimming with his friends, marking the second drowning on the Ocmulgee River within 24 hours, according to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.
This drowning occurred just a few miles away from the Macon Riverwalk, where another man drowned in Bibb County Friday afternoon.
Jones says the second drowning happened at 6:30 p.m. at Amerson River Park. The man, 19, has been identified as Eddren Chester. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office say his family has been notified.
The sheriff's office says witnesses saw Chester go under the water twice, before they called the fire department.
Both the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department and the Bibb County Sheriff's Office responded to the park.
According to Jones, the man had family at the scene when he arrived. The man was declared dead at 7:35 p.m. by Chief Deputy Coroner Lonnie Miley.
"That park is dangerous..." Jones said. "I'll say it again and again until I'm blue in the face. Amerson Park is dangerous."
Correction: A previous version of this story said that 6-15 people drown each year at Amerson River Park, but that figure is the number of deaths over the years at Amerson River Park.
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