A huge search is underway for a Georgia father of five who appears to have vanished while kayaking on a lake long rumored to be haunted.
Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he didn’t show up to pick up his children from school — with cops then finding his car parked at Little Ridge Park on Lake Lanier, 11 Alive reported
Evidence suggested that Valencia had gone kayaking on the lake, but his inflatable raft was nowhere to be seen, according to authorities.
A huge ongoing search was launched Thursday on land and water, with multiple units using drones and specialist marine search equipment.
Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, was built in the 1950s over submerged towns, forests, and cemeteries — and has been a location for eerie scenes in the Netflix drama “Ozark,” CNN previously reported.
Since 1994, over 200 people have died in the lake’s waters — with locals long suggesting the lake is haunted.
One of the most-repeated legends is the “Lady of the Lake,” supposedly the ghost of a woman whose car crashed into the lake who has since been spotted restlessly wandering at night in a blue dress.
Friends say Valencia, a triathlete, was in peak condition.
“A group of us met at his church for a vigil, prayed, and then we left to come find him,” Cat Fritts, a friend who last saw Valencia early Tuesday morning during a workout, told WBSTV about the hunt to find him.
“He’s got five kids. I can’t imagine what his family is going through. I think they would want everyone to know and go look for him and spread the word,” she said.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who spots a stray inflatable kayak to contact their office.
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