‘Close this place already.’ Locals want more safety at Amerson River Park after drownings

Local residents are urging Macon-Bibb County to establish more safety measures at Amerson River Park, and some want to shut down river access at the park permanently after three people drowned there Tuesday night.

Johnny “Yung” Collins III, 28, drowned while trying to save his girlfriend’s daughters, 7-year-old Summer Lewis and 10-year-old Skyler Worthen, who also drowned Tuesday night in the Ocmulgee River, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Bibb County Coroner’s Office and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Drownings at the park have been a persistent issue. Eddren Chester, 19, and Billy Scott Carter, 33, drowned in the river within days of each other in June 2024. 

Kayla Just, a Macon resident, created a Change.org petition Thursday afternoon advocating to shut down the park’s river access to prevent future deaths. The petition referenced The Telegraph’s reporting on what is known about the victims and their deaths.

She said the drownings at the river are “a repeated reality of loss and heartache.”

The park was closed Tuesday night and Wednesday as authorities searched for the three victims, then reopened Thursday.

“Despite these heartbreaking events, the access points continue to reopen, leaving swimmers at grave risk,” the Change.org petition said.

Amerson River Park offers recreational water access and there are no life guards. The park’s website recommends that people call 911 for emergencies.

Jessica Griffin, a Facebook user from Appling, said first responders should always be at the park.

“They need someone out there in case this situation happens and they can save people’s life so this doesn’t happen again to anyone,” Griffin commented on a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office.

Kay Cannon, a Facebook user from Byron, said, “Even the best Olympic swimmer can get pulled by those currents. Just close this place already and call it a day.”

Free life jackets hang near the river access points for people to borrow. Life jackets are required for people under 16 years old with a guardian’s supervision, according to The Macon Newsroom.

The three victims did not wear life jackets Tuesday, according to Mark McKinnon, public affairs officer of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division.

Several family members and friends who waited outside of the park while officials searched for their loved ones Wednesday said the park lacked safety precautions for swimmers.

The Macon-Bibb County Commission has the authority to change the park’s laws.

“We propose not just temporary closures but a permanent cease of access to the most hazardous points of the river, specifically focused on eliminating high-risk areas known for fast currents,” the Change.org petition said.

Dangerous water conditions in Macon

Rough currents dragged the recent victims underwater, even though they swam in a shallow sandbar, Sgt. Christopher Williams said. 

Currents are usually inevitable at Amerson River Park, Williams said.

“(A current) doesn’t care (about) your height, your weight,” Williams said. “There’s always going to be a risk.”

Its hard to avoid a current because of how often and unexpectedly they rush in and change directions.

Williams recommended to research the river’s water conditions before entering the water.

“During different times of the year, the currents in the river change,” he said.

There’s not much visibility in the water because of stagnant and moving debris, and mud during the rain.

There have been 46 drownings in natural bodies of water in Georgia in 2025, according to McKinnon.

“Please, people need to use a life jacket...,” he said. “Use it all day.”

This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 11:36 AM.