Prince Brothers’ Memorial Motorcycle Ride August 11th

Thursday, 09 August 2012 16:49 Written by Robert Sutherland 0 Comments

The weather is looking good for ”Rumble in the Streets” – a police-escorted motorcycle ride and Classic Car Cruise-In to benefit the Griffin & Jake Prince Memorial Fund — on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

Griffin & Jake are the brothers who perished in a boating accident on Lake Lanier in June, 2012.

The 70-mile motorcycle ride is scheduled for Saturday, August 11th, with a rain-date of Saturday, September 1st.

Riders are asked to assemble in Dahlonega at the Lumpkin County Courthouse (325 Riley Road, Dahlonega, GA, 30533) beginning at 9 AM. There will be a pre-ride meeting at 11 AM, with “kickstands up” at 11:15.

Sheriff escorts from Dawson, Lumpkin, Forsyth and Hall counties will lead the motorcyclists and halt cross-traffic at stoplights and major intersections.

There are few things motorcyclists enjoy more than waving to smiling law enforcement officers while we legally ride our bikes through red lights with hundreds of other bikers.

A classic car show will be held from 1 PM until 4 PM at Dawsonville’s City Hall, where the ride ends.

All proceeds of this memorial ride will go to the Griffin & Jake Prince Memorial Fund.

We will see you there!

What

70-mile police-escorted motorcycle ride to benefit the Griffin & Jake Prince Memorial Fund
Classic Car Show at Dawsonville City Hall from 1-4 PM

When

Saturday, August 11, 2012
Rain Date: Saturday, September 1st
Bike registration 9 AM – 11 AM
Pre-ride meeting at 11 AM
Kickstands up at 11:15 AM

Where

Motorcycle ride begins in Dahlonega at the Lumpkin County Courthouse
Courthouse address: 325 Riley Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Click Here for Directions
Ride travels through four counties to Gainesville, Buford Dam, Cumming before ending in Dawsonville

Cost

$40 per bike — no extra charge for passengers
$20 per Classic Car at the Cruise-In
$10 Burger plates at the world-famous Dawsonville Pool Room with 50% of proceeds going to the Memorial fund

Stuff

To keep costs low and give the most to the Memorial fund, no T-shirts will be provided.
Music will be provided in Dawsonville by the Brian Jarrett Band

Contact

Lt. Doug Boyle of Dawson County Sheriff’s Office
Phone: 770-324-1015
e-mail: Boyle@DawsonCountySheriff.org

For a donation of $100 per shot, we will allow you to have your picture taken on Grasshopper, the Humble Ninja. All proceeds go to the Griffin & Jake Prince Memorial Fund.

Bennett Charged with 13 Felonies in Boat Crash

Friday, 03 August 2012 16:49 Written by Robert Sutherland 4 Comments

Nothing can bring Jake and Griffin Prince back from the boat crash that took their lives on June 18, 2012.

The man who was allegedly driving the boat that caused the wreck has been charged with more than a dozen felony counts for causing their deaths.

A Hall County grand jury handed down the charges against Paul J. Bennett, 44, of Cumming, GA. His boat ran into a pontoon boat carrying the Prince brothers and their family.

The counts against Bennett are reported to include eight counts of homicide by vessel in the first degree, although only two lives were lost. Other charges are two counts of boating under the influence of alcohol, two counts of reckless operation of a vessel, and violation of duty to render assistance.

Paul Bennett is the owner of Paul Bennett Studios, a hair salon in Johns Creek.

Although innocent until proven guilty, should Mr. Bennett be found guilty of the charges, we hope his punishment will deter others from drinking while operating water craft on Lake Lanier.

Click Here for Background Story

Prince and Hansen Family Statement

Wednesday, 04 July 2012 16:09 Written by Robert Sutherland 0 Comments

There are no words to express our community’s sense of loss and sorrow, but we extend our condolences to the families of Jake and Griffin Prince who lost two treasured children in a boating accident on Lake Lanier.

This complete statement was released by the Prince and Hansen Families on Facebook:

“June 18, 2012 will always be remembered by our family as a day of extraordinary sadness, pain and suffering; but, it will also be remembered as a day when hundreds of thousands of people, across the United States and in 19 other countries, began to open their hearts to us, to pray for us, to serve us, to contribute their time and resources to Michael, Tara, and Ryan as well as to other family members, to mitigate the financial and emotional costs associated with this tragedy.

We are humbled by this outpouring of love, and of all of the prayers which have been and continue to be offered on our behalf. We have felt the power of these prayers and we express our deepest gratitude for the faith and goodness they represent.

We are amazed at the miracles which took place as devoted and capable members of the Public Safety Community, representing many local and state and national organizations worked together as a team to fulfill the mission they had to find Griffin’s body. This was an outstanding example of how a team of professionals can accomplish even the most difficult of assignments, and of how they were motivated not just by a sense of duty, but of how this was also a work of love, which has helped to bring our beloved Griffin’s body home, so he can be honored and buried with his brother.

There will be a place of honor at the funeral for all of those in the Public Safety Community who were involved in this search and who supported the efforts of those on the scene, and those who reached out to our family in so many ways. If their schedules are such that they can attend, we want them there.

These events were all foreseen by God, and while He does not cause bad things to happen, He can provide for much good to flow from such events. Certainly, our family is living proof of this truth.

While we would gladly return all the blessings we have received from God since the day of this tragedy to have our two boys back; yet, we know that reunion will be delayed until a future time and place; so, until that time, we express our gratitude for the many blessings we receive every day.

The Public Visitation being held July 2, 2012, and the Funeral being held July 3, 2012 represent a small gift that we offer to others, as well as a time of healing for our family as we rejoice in the lives of these two beautiful boys whom we love and honor for their goodness.”

Click Here for the Original Statement

Griffin Prince’s Body Found in Lake Lanier

Thursday, 28 June 2012 00:26 Written by Robert Sutherland 4 Comments

Griffin Prince, Tara Hansen Prince, Jake Prince and Ryan Prince.

Following nine days of tireless efforts from searchers from local, state and federal agencies, Griffin Prince’s body has been found in Lake Lanier.

Griffin went missing after a dreadful boating accident Monday, June 18th on Lake Lanier, not far from Shoal Creek Park and Buford Dam.

A fishing boat more than 20′ long rammed the pontoon boat carrying Griffin Prince, his family and friends not long after 10:30 PM. Griffin’s nine-year-old brother, Jake Prince, was also killed in the accident.

Paul J. Bennett, the driver of the fishing boat, has been charged with Boating Under the Influence.

Earlier today divers located what was termed a debris field from the wreck. That gave investigators hope they were closer to finding the body of Griffin Prince.

Cadaver dog teams narrowed the search to within 200 feet of the crash site.

Prior to locating the boy’s body, divers searched submerged trees by hand, limb by limb, in the dark cold waters.

Words cannot express the sorrow so many of us feel for the Prince family.

Nor can we rightly express our gratitude for the heroes who never gave up the search.

Accident Details

Griffin’s 9-year-old brother, Jake, died from massive injuries sustained when the boats collided.

A pontoon boat carrying individuals from four families in Gwinnett County was traveling in the Shoal Creek area near Buford Dam. In spite of having its lights on, their boat was hit head-on by a speeding center-console fishing boat.

The fishing boat left the scene following the accident.

Killed in the wreck was nine-year-old Jake Prince of Buford. Jake’s 13-year-old brother, Griffin Prince, was also on the pontoon boat at the time of the crash. Griffin went missing following the accident.

The father of the two boys, Michael Prince, was driving the pontoon boat that was carrying four adults and nine children. Five passengers on the pontoon boat who were thrown into the water by the collision – including Mrs. Prince – were treated for minor injuries and released from Gainesville’s Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

The outstanding response from the Hall County Fire Department, Gwinnett and Forsyth County authorities, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, brought 11 people safely to shore.

Witnesses at the scene gave police a description of the fishing boat involved in the deadly hit-and-run.

According to DNR sources, the DNR ranger who responded to the accident saw the fishing boat that struck the pontoon boat as the fishing boat entered Bald Ridge Marina in Forsyth County. After confirming the description of the boat that left the scene, investigators went back to the marina. They found the fishing boat believed to be the one that fled the fatal accident and made an arrest.

Paul J. Bennett

DNR officials said 44-year-old Paul J. Bennett of Cumming, GA – a licensed cosmetologist who owns Paul Bennett Studio in Johns Creek – was charged with boating under the influence (BUI). More charges, including homicide by vessel and failing to give aid, are being considered.Bennett is free on $5,000 bail pending an August 15, 2012, first-appearance hearing in Hall County Magistrate Court.

Two other people, including one woman, were on the boat when the arrest took place, but were not immediately charged. They may face charges as the investigation continues.

Again, our gratitude goes out to all who helped in this recovery effort and for those who prayed that no one else would be lost in the effort.

Message from Family of Boy Missing on Lake Lanier

Monday, 25 June 2012 14:53 Written by Robert Sutherland 3 Comments

The family of Jack and Griffin Prince — the two young boys lost in the June 18, 2012, boating accident on Lake Lanier — released this statement on Sunday, June 24th:

“On behalf of the Prince and Hansen Families, this brief statement is offered to all those who have loved our family and who have included us in their faith and prayers, love and concern, and who like us, are awaiting the good news that the body of our beloved Griffin has been found. We look forward to that time so that we can move forw…ard with the funeral plans, and so that a new beginning can take place.

Our minds and hearts will forever include thoughts and feelings of gratitude for the many who have given us service, who have provided meals, who have expressed their condolences, who have graciously contributed of their time and financial resources to help defray costs associated with this tragedy. We thank the press for their respectful treatment of our family’s privacy and for the many kind things which have been said of our family. We thank the law enforcement officers and personnel as well as others who are investigating this accident and who have taken us under their wing as if we were a part of their own special “family”, thus according us all the courtesies and privileges of being a part of that elite group. But, most of all, we wish to thank the brave men and women who are risking their own lives and personal safety to find Griffin, and who have committed themselves and their resources to do everything necessary to bring this ordeal to a successful conclusion. They have told us they will not give up!

We continue to grieve, but we express our thanks to a loving Heavenly Father, who has taken these two beautiful boys back to be with other loved ones, who were there to greet them when they arrived. We thank our Savior, Jesus Christ, for the certain knowledge we have, that because of his Atonement, we will all live again, and one day, through Heavenly Father’s Plan of happiness, we will be reunited with these great spirits, who have gone on ahead of us to their eternal rewards.”

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