Morgan County has a navy.
After seven years without a boat, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office has acquired a vessel to patrol the 89 miles of shoreline it has on Lake Oconee and the Apalachee River.
“Following recent incidents on the water in Putnam and Greene counties, I recognized the importance of maintaining a visible and responsive law enforcement presence on Lake Oconee,” Sheriff Tyler Hooks said. “To support that effort, we’ve added a new patrol boat, purchased with seized drug funds. This new resource allows us to increase patrols, respond more quickly to emergencies on the water, and ensure a safer environment for all who enjoy the lake.”
According to Captain Bo Kelly, who has worked for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for 25 years, the Morgan County side of the lake and river contains several hazards.
“Georgia Power has done what they could to mark those, and people who have run the lake for years know about the hazards, but the problem we run into is when someone new shows up in the area,” Kelly said. “All they see is open water in front of them, and they think they can go left or right, but when they go right, they run into a timber field because of all the trees that were standing 40 years ago when they impounded the lake, that are now six inches under the water.
"They run amongst that and puncture the hull, damaging the engine. We’ve seen them ejected from boats, so you have to be aware of where you're driving. That’s one of the reasons we got [the boat], so if something like that does occur, we can respond to it quickly.”
Kelly said that for a decade after Lake Oconee was impounded, you could drive across I-20 and see trees.
“I remember thinking as a kid that there would be some good fishing up that way,” Kelly said. “Now, all those trees have fallen in. They basically rot off right at the waterline and fall in, but the trees that are underwater are preserved. They’ll be there for years to come.
“I’ve worked numerous fatalities where people were thrown out of their boat, and they hit a stump and fracture the bottom of the boat, and cause the boat to sink. If you’re thrown out of the boat and you’re not a good swimmer or not a swimmer at all, that’s not a good thing.”
Morgan County’s boat is a 2008 Chaparral purchased from the DNR. It came equipped with a sophisticated sonar system that allows operators to spot submerged objects, such as vehicles and bodies.
The boat is capable of traveling at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, but typically navigates waterways at approximately 28 miles per hour.
The Chaparral features a V-shaped hull, making it highly maneuverable. It can also carry up to nine passengers.
Hooks and Kelly took the boat out on the lake for about four hours after the engine and other systems were checked.
“It ran like a champ,” Kelly said.
According to Hooks, the boat will be kept at the Buckhead Fire Station and launched from the most strategic boat ramp depending on the situation. Both Kelly and Hooks live close by, and Kelly said they should be able to get the boat in the water within 15 minutes.