Community Corner

UPDATE: Bodies of Missing Dawsonville Men Recovered

The two vanished after a 3:30 a.m. fishing trip.

UPDATE: (Jan. 11 at 12:47 p.m.)

The bodies of two Dawsonville men missing for more than a week have been recovered, according to the Dawson County Sheriff's Office.

A post on the DCSO Facebook page stated, "With much sadness, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office reports the bodies of MASON COX and DAVID WOOD were retrieved from Lake Lanier in the area of Fredricks Cove on Friday, January 10, 2014. Please remember the families in your prayers, while respecting their privacy during this extremely difficult time."

Autopsies will be performed on the men's bodies by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at its crime lab in DeKalb County as early next week, according to 11 Alive.

Liz Kennedy contributed to this report.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE (Jan. 8 at 1:14 p.m.)

A friend of two missing Dawsonville residents is asking Patch to help spread their story in hopes of finding the young men.

Mason Cox and David Wood, both 20, were last seen Jan. 2 in the area of Fredericks Cove in Dawsonville, which is north of Forsyth County off GA 400 on Lake Lanier, according to Dawson County Sheriff's Office authorities.

The two disappeared after leaving for a fishing trip, according to the "Help Find Mason Cox and David Wood" Facebook page. It says authorities have no indication of foul play, but foul play has not been ruled out, according to published media reports.

The men, who both live in the Fredericks Cove neighborhood, apparently returned home from fishing and may have been picked up by a friend, DawsonNews.com reports. Cox left his cell phone and wallet at home, but Wood apparently took his cell phone. Both left their vehicles at their homes.

A neighbor captured video of a car pulling up to one of the men's homes, then leave, the night of their disappearance, according to DawsonNews.com. The men's fishing poles also were at their homes.

Tuesday, Dawson County authorities asked for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's assistance.

"The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Dawson County Emergency Services, continues to search for MASON COX and DAVID WOOD," the agency posted on its Facebook page. "Investigators continue actively pursuing all investigative leads, while search efforts continue." 

Investigators are asking the families' privacy be respected.

"The GBI is finally involved to find my missing brother and his friend," a sister of one of the men posted on the "Help Find Mason Cox and David Wood" Facebook page. "To those who are ignorant, they did not run away and are not hiding. We will find those involved with the disappearance and punish them to the fullest extent their life has to offer."

Mason Cox, who graduated from Dawson County High School in 2011, according to his Facebook page, apparently worked in maintenance at a golf club and was looking for a job. "Anyone know of any places hiring in or around Dawson?" he posted Dec. 31 on his Facebook page.

In the days leading up to his disappearance, Cox posted about going through his "first illegal road block" and making New Year's resolutions.

His last Facebook status update on Jan. 2, the day of the disappearance, was mobile and reads: "Not afraid of death cause I'm so curious of what's next."

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Cox and/or Wood should contact Investigator Murphy with the Dawson County Sheriff's Office at 706-344-3636. 

Thoughts? Tell us what you think in the comments, share your photos and videos, and don’t miss any of the local news you care aboutsubscribe to Cumming Patch’s free newsletterlike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 





Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here