Athens man drowns in Lake Hartwell

According to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, the body of Levi Magana Nino, a 45-year-old resident of Athens, was recovered from Lake Hartwell near the Elrod Ferry Recreation Area on Saturday night. Witnesses reported that Nino fell off a float into the water, went under, and did not resurface. Volunteer firefighters, assisted by a jet skier, located Nino just below the surface. Despite CPR efforts, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. This incident is the third fatality at Lake Hartwell in the past two weeks.