UPDATE: Little River Canyon Drowning Victim Identified

FORT PAYNE, Ala. (WHNT) – A Georgia man drowned in the water at Little River Canyon on Tuesday.

National Park Service rangers identified the victim as 64-year-old William Ragland of Lyerly in Chattooga County, which borders DeKalb.

Rescue crews received a call for help needed at the High Rock area around 1:30 p.m.

Rangers said Ragland and a companion were drinking alcohol and jumped off a rock into the water, but Ragland never resurfaced.

The Fischer Rescue Squad dive team recovered the victim’s body.

A National Park Service team rescued a woman in her 30s.

This is the second drowning at Little River Canyon National Preserve this year.

“The accidents and fatalities in the park are caused by several different things,” ranger John Newman said.

“A lot of times people don’t understand the power of water, but this probably wasn’t the case.  The water was calm, but alcohol and drugs don’t mix well with water.”

Alcohol is prohibited at the Preserve.