Dicks Creek Falls in Chattahoochee National Forest

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – A father and his 6-year-old son drowned at Dicks Creek Falls in Lumpkin County Tuesday (June 20) around 2 p.m.

Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said according to numerous witnesses, the father, 38-year-old Joshua Kistler of Dahlonega, slid down one of the rock slides first then waited for his son, Jaxon, to follow. But the boy apparently got caught in an undertow and never resurfaced. The father made several attempts to bring his son to the surface but drowned himself.

“This is such a tragedy,” Jarrard said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ family. I hope everyone will keep them all in their prayers.”

Jarrard said witnesses spotted the father’s body floating downstream, pulled him to the shore and tried to do CPR but were unable to revive him.

Several agencies responded to the incident, including Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, Lumpkin County Fire Department, EMS, Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. The Lumpkin County swift water rescue team recovered the child’s body.

Fetch Your News will have more details as they become available.

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