Cleveland man dies in river incident

A Cleveland man has died after being discovered in the Chattahoochee River early Tuesday morning. 64-year-old Thomas “Tony” Martin was pronounced dead at an area hospital, officials say.

First responders pulled Martin from the river after being called to the scene off Highway 75 North approximately two miles north of Helen around 2 a.m. on January 11. They performed CPR to try and revive him.

Martin was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville where he was pronounced dead.

The White County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident. Captain Clay Hammond with the Criminal Investigations Division says Martin’s death appears to have been accidental.