Authorities identify Body found at Lake Russell

Personnel from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and Habersham County Emergency Services were dispatched at 7:46am Wednesday to an individual who had been found deceased in a picnic area near Lake Russell Beach. Habersham County Coroner Kasey McEntire has identified the man as 21-year-old Nicholas Patterson of Cornelia. Although foul play is not suspected, other details are pending further investigation. McEntire said the body has been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination. Lake Russell is a 100-acre lake located near Mt. Airy in Habersham County that includes a seasonal grass beach and a campground with 42 sites for tents and RVs.