Dustin Valencia missing: Body found in search for dad-of-five who vanished while kayaking Georgia's infamous Lake Lanier

Dustin Valencia was reported missing on Wednesday, May 14, after he went kayaking on Georgia's infamous Lake Lanier. On the morning of Friday, May 16, a dock worker discovered Valencia's kayak and paddle, and reported the discovery to the authorities. Foul play is not suspected at this time, and a source told WSB-TV that Valencia was training for a triathlon.

Valencia was reported missing after he failed to pick up his kids from school, according to 11Alive and WSB-TV. Police found his Honda Accord in the Lakeside Park parking lot near the reservoir.

The husband and father is a graduate of the University of Georgia, a close family friend told 11Alive. Valencia's wife first attempted to locate him through Find My iPhone.

Police have now discovered a body 51 feet deep into the water in a cove near where Valencia, 43, was last seen, per 11Alive. The identification process is underway, but the body has not been confirmed as Valencia, Forsyth County Public Information Officer Stacie A. Miller told PEOPLE.

More than 200 people have died in Lake Lanier since 1994, per CNN. In 2023, there were at least 12 deaths, including two Georgia men who both died in unrelated incidents months apart.