Reprinted with permission from the South Hill Enterprise

The second drowning in a week on Lake Gaston was reported Thursday afternoon on Merrymount Road just north of the North Carolina line.
The body of Burton G. Parker, 65, was recovered from the lake at 2:53 p.m. by Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office Dive Team Deputy D. Arnold.

Parker had been reported missing earlier in the day, and deputies, after speaking to his wife, Jessie Hale, conducted an extensive land search of the residence and surrounding area, eventually deciding to call the dive team in to search the lake.
He was a retired data management consultant and an Army veteran.

Divers began diving at 2:47 p.m.
A 15-year-old male drowned in Lake Gaston in the Poplar Creek area on May 16, after allegedly attempting to swim between two docks. The Brunswick County Sheriff's office responded to that incident.