Rescue crews pulled a body from Lake Lanier Friday as the community anxiously waits for answers in the disappearance of Dustin Valencia. While the body was found in the area Valencia was kayaking, officials have not identified the body yet.
🚨 Why It Matters: Families across Forsyth County have watched this case unfold since Wednesday afternoon when Valencia failed to pick up his children from school. The discovery marks a critical moment for a community that rallied together to search the waters.
🔍 What’s Happening: Georgia Department of Natural Resources located a body in Lake Lanier Thursday. Forsyth County Fire Department teams recovered the remains from the water.
Officials have not yet identified the body
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case
⏱️ Catch Up Quick: Valencia disappeared Wednesday after leaving his home around 1 p.m. His black Honda Accord turned up at Little Ridge Park boat ramp, about 15 minutes from his house.
His wife reported him missing when he never arrived for school pickup at 3 p.m.
Evidence near his car suggested he went kayaking on the lake.
👥 Between the Lines: Friends of Valencia’s family never stopped searching the water since his disappearance, even when official searches temporarily paused.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
