Two Arrested in String of Thefts on Lake Hartwell Docks

Two people are charged in Franklin County with a string of thefts from boat docks on Lake Hartwell.

According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, the thefts happened over a period of weeks in the Gumlog Creek part of the lake.

The identities of the two suspects and their charges have not yet been released by the Sheriff’s office. WLHR News has learned one of the suspects was a teen and the other an adult male.

Over $20-thousand dollars in equipment and items had reportedly been stolen off the docks.

DNR Law Enforcement Officer for Lake Hartwell Craig Fulghum said the pair allegedly stole whatever they could off boat docks.

“A lot of the incidents occurred in and around Gumlog Creek involving two individuals who were using stolen kayaks to steal items off the docks,” Fulghum said. “There was a large quantity of items and some very expensive items that were taken.”

According to Fulghum, the suspects would cruise the shoreline after midnight looking for unlit docks where they couldn’t be seen.

Fulghum reminds people living on the lake to put anything on their boats or boat docks that could be easily stolen.

“We want to make people who have homes on the water and have a lot of items on their docks that are readily accessible by water to put them under lock and key. Don’t leave items that are open for the taking on the dock, the fishing poles, the tackle, the depth finders that are so expensive. They’re easy targets for individuals who want to do harm to steal real quick,” he said.

Fulghum said this is typically the time of year when many thefts occur on boat docks because the thieves know most of the lake homes are not occupied full-time.

That’s why he offers some common-sense safety tips to keep from becoming a victim of dock thefts.

“Take that stuff to your home and lock it up. That’s a huge deterrent. Put lights on your dock, or lights with motion detectors so they light up so that those individuals don’t have that darkness when they try to approach your dock. Anything that can light up that area can help. And just be aware of individuals who come around your dock or your neighbor’s dock during the late hours of the night. If you see somebody hanging around your dock too long or you see something that just doesn’t look right, don’t be concerned about calling 911. Let us come out and determine if it’s something to be concerned about or not,” Fulghum said.

If you think you may have been a victim of the dock thefts, you can contact the Franklin or Hart County Sheriff’s offices to speak with an investigator.

WLHR is continuing to follow this story and will bring you more updates as they become available.