Gerrard Kaonga
What do you do if a lake continues to claim lives over the decades? You open a waterslide, of course.
The lake in question is in northern Georgia, US, and has earned an eerie reputation.
Lake Lanier is an artificial lake built atop towns and cemeteries and was named after writer, poet, musician and Confederate army veteran, Sidney Lanier.
It was created in the 1950s as part of the River and Harbors Act, which aimed to improve and reinforce waterways across the United States.
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Despite being built to serve the Atlanta community in need of a water source and hydroelectric power, the lake's creation was marred by social injustice and a disturbing construction strategy which saw locals displaced to make room for the body of water.
In the five years that it took to complete construction, Lake Lanier caused families and business to be pushed out of what once was a primarily Black area, as well as about 20 graveyards to be relocated. This resulted in 'ghost towns' with abandoned streets and houses as well as tombstones sitting intact at the bottom of the lake.
Now, if you ever paid attention to any good horror film, building upon an old burial ground is rarely a good idea.
In the seven decades since its construction in the mid-1950s, the lake has claimed the lives of 700 people.
Thankfully, the deaths have never been considered supernatural in nature but unfortunately as the lake was not built for recreational purposes it creates other issues.
The sunken buildings and trees beneath the lake have proven to be extremely hazardous to swimmers in the water. Underwater hazards can be deadly when swimming, and some 700 people have died in the lake since it was created.
Now, a water park is set to be introduced this summer and is hoping to bring the first waterslide coaster to Georgia, according to Margaritaville at Lake Lanier Islands.
Park officials confirmed the build, writing: "This monumental investment marks the most significant expansion of Margaritaville at Lanier Islands in decades, adding Georgia's largest waterslide complex to the water park, boasting an impressive 15 slides in total in 2024."
I expect those involved will likely try and shy away from the eerie reputation of the park.
However, after seeing posts on social media about the expansion, some users aired their concerns.
Over on TikTok where the news was reshared, one user said: "That's what they did. And now hundreds of people have died in there. And now they're like, you know what would be dope in here? A waterslide!"
Another added: "lake lanier is a grave must be careful who's grave you dance on all I have to say just remember the titanic submersible."
On the flip side, a few users took the opportunity to remind people that a water park has been present there for years, saying 'it's not new.'
Time will tell how successful the waterslide proves when the expansion is completed in the summer of 2024.