Lake Lanier
When Georgia flooded a valley to create Lake Lanier in 1956, they didn't move all the graves. Now the lake claims an average of 17 lives annually. Divers find vintage cars with skeletal occupants. Swimmers report hands grabbing from below. The drowned town refuses to stay submerged.
Lake Lanier is one of Georgia’s most popular recreation spots - and one of its deadliest. Since the lake’s creation in 1956, over 700 people have died in its waters. Drownings occur with disturbing regularity, often under mysterious circumstances. And beneath the surface lies something most visitors don’t know: an entire town that was flooded, its graves never fully relocated.
The Creation
Lake Lanier was created by damming the Chattahoochee River in the 1950s. The resulting reservoir flooded approximately 50,000 acres of land in Hall and Forsyth counties, including:
- The town of Oscarville
- Multiple smaller communities
- Farms and homesteads
- Cemeteries
- A racetrack
- Roads and bridges
While major buildings were demolished before flooding, not everything was removed. Many sources report that some graves were never relocated - that bodies remain beneath the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has disputed this, but local legend insists the dead were left behind.
The Death Toll
Lake Lanier’s death rate is shocking:
- Approximately 700+ deaths since 1956
- Average of 17 deaths per year
- Many deaths occur under unexplained circumstances
- Bodies frequently not recovered for extended periods
- Drownings occur even among strong swimmers in calm water
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has attributed most deaths to alcohol use and failure to wear life jackets. But locals tell different stories.
The Strange Drownings
Many Lake Lanier drownings defy easy explanation:
- Experienced swimmers drown in calm water
- Bodies disappear only to surface miles away
- Victims are found with expressions of terror
- People report feeling hands grabbing at them underwater
- Some survivors describe being “pulled down”
In one documented case, two women were in a boat accident in 1958. One woman’s body was recovered 64 years later, in 2022, still sitting in the car at the bottom of the lake. How had search teams missed her for over six decades?
The Lady of the Lake
The most famous Lake Lanier ghost is “The Lady of the Lake” - the spirit of Delia Mae Parker Young, who died in a car accident on the bridge over the lake in 1958.
Young and her friend Susie Roberts were crossing the bridge when their vehicle plunged into the water. Roberts’ body was found quickly. Young’s remained missing for months, finally recovered the following year.
But the story doesn’t end there:
- In 1990, a fisherman discovered a 1950s car in the lake with skeletal remains inside
- Drivers on the lake’s bridges report seeing a woman in blue walking toward them, then vanishing
- Boaters see a woman standing on the water, staring at them
- Hikers encounter a woman in vintage clothing who asks for help finding her friend
Other Hauntings
The Lady of the Lake is not alone:
Children’s Voices: Swimmers report hearing children laughing and calling from empty sections of the lake.
The Drowned Town: Divers exploring the submerged roads and foundations report feelings of being watched, equipment malfunctions, and glimpses of movement in the murky water.
Ghostly Lights: Lights are seen moving beneath the surface and along the shore where no one walks.
The Hands: Multiple swimmers have reported feeling hands grabbing their ankles, attempting to pull them under.
Investigations
Lake Lanier has attracted paranormal investigators intrigued by its reputation:
- Sonar scans have revealed numerous submerged vehicles
- Divers have documented intact structures on the lake bottom
- Investigators have recorded EVPs of screams and calls for help
- Temperature anomalies have been documented in specific areas
Whether the phenomena are genuine hauntings or the result of the lake’s dark reputation creating expectations is debated.
The Water Itself
Some researchers suggest the lake’s geography makes it naturally dangerous:
- Sudden drop-offs create unexpected depth changes
- Cold water pockets can cause shock
- Underwater debris creates hazards
- Poor visibility conceals dangers
But these explanations don’t account for the many deaths among experienced swimmers in safe conditions, or the persistent reports of hands reaching from below.