2 teens rescued in river stranding face charges

Two teens who were pulled from a river at High Falls State Park in Middle Georgia after they became stranded are facing criminal charges.

The Butts County teens have been charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor, Capt. Chris Hodge of the state Department of Natural Resources told the Macon Telegraph.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of a year in a county jail and a $1,000 fine.

It’s not clear when the teens, who have not been identified, will appear in Probate Court in the case. Probation and community service are also sentencing options for the judge.

Charges were expected, as the boy and girl were rescued from an area where signs in the park warn swimmers and hikers to stay off the falls. Authorities said two brothers ignored those same signs in October 2017, and 12-yearold Christian Burdette died.

“We’re getting tired of pulling folks off the falls,” Matthew Perry, director of the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency, said after the May 29 incident.

“This is not rocket science. Keep yourself out of the river. When it looks like this, you’re going to die. Not to mention we keep sending firefighters out, but these guys have families, too.”

The agency warned people via Facebook two days before, pleading with residents to take the threat of flooding from Subtropical Depression Alberto seriously.