John Caleb Nation Obituary, Death – A duck hunter who drowned on Lake Eufaula has been identified as 22-year-old John Caleb Nation of Griffin, Georgia. The tragic incident occurred early Sunday morning near an island off Thomas Mill Creek in Abbeville, located on the Georgia side of Lake Eufaula, which straddles the Alabama-Georgia state line.
Clay County Coroner Raymon Crozier confirmed Nation’s identity after his body was found in the lake. The search for Nation began that morning when deputies from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a group of duck hunters. The hunters explained that their boat had drifted away from the island they were hunting on, and one of the hunters, Nation, had attempted to swim to retrieve it. According to the group, they believed Nation had reached the boat but was unresponsive when they last saw him.
A rescue boat arrived at the scene and located the boat, but Nation was not aboard. The boat was then returned to the stranded hunters on the island, and a search for Nation was launched immediately.
Sheriff Eric Blankenship later confirmed that Nation’s body was found in nearly 20 feet of water, approximately 100 yards from the island’s shore. A dive team was brought in to assist in the recovery of the body. Authorities expressed their gratitude for the swift response from the various agencies involved in the search, with Sheriff Blankenship calling the incident “very tragic.”
This sad event has left the community mourning the loss of a young man, and authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the drowning. The incident highlights the risks associated with outdoor activities like duck hunting, particularly in remote or water-bound locations. Despite the efforts of the rescue teams, Nation’s life was tragically lost.