The body of a father of five who vanished last week while kayaking on a Georgia lake has been discovered underwater, police said.

Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he did not show up to pick up his children from school, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said.

A search ensued and authorities tracked his last location to Lake Lanier in Georgia, where they found Valencia’s car parked nearby, along with his flip-flops and the bag used to store his inflatable kayak.

On Friday, the department announced that game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, using sonar equipment, located a body in the lake. Divers from the Forsyth County Fire Department recovered the remains from about 51 feet of water near the center of a cove.

NAVY VET DAD FOUND DEAD NEAR RESORT WHILE AT POPULAR VACATION DESTINATION WITH FAMILY

On Monday, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the body was that of Valencia. 

In the days following his disappearance, Valencia’s kayak and paddle were found floating near the outer edge of the cove. Friends say he was training for a triathlon and had likely gone kayaking for exercise.

Authorities said the 43-year-old kayaker was not wearing a life vest at the time of his drowning.

“My understanding is that he was not wearing a life vest,” an official said, according to Fox News affiliate WAGA-TV. “Even strong swimmers can have a medical emergency or cramp. If that happens, and you’re not wearing a life jacket, you’re at serious risk.”

Dustin Valencia disappeared May 14 after failing to pick up his children; his belongings were found near Little Ridge Park, and his kayak was later located in the water. (Dustin Valencia/Facebook)

WISCONSIN KAYAKER ACCUSED OF FAKING HIS OWN DEATH, FLEEING COUNTRY CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION

An official cause of death has not been released. The case remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit. The sheriff’s office referred Fox News Digital to the department’s press release.

“Please continue to share [and] pray,” a GoFundMe for the family said. “The Valencia family feels your love and strength, and they are deeply grateful for the community that surrounds them.”

Lake Lanier, a reservoir in Atlanta, Georgia, that is a popular destination for water sports enthusiasts. (Getty Images)

Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, is home to a popular local legend. The ghost story of the Lady of the Lake involves a woman in a blue dress who is said to haunt the lake after dying in a car accident there in the 1950s.

The man-made lake has a maximum depth of about 160 feet and was created in the 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Louisiana law enforcement officials released new booking pictures of four captured inmates who escaped a jail in New Orleans as they face new charges.

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety released new booking pictures for Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Gary Price and Dkenan Dennis, all of whom are accused of escaping the Orleans Justice Center on Friday. Six inmates are still at large.

Price, who was arrested Monday, faces new charges of simple escape, possession of a controlled substance and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. He was initially arrested for attempted first-degree murder, domestic abuse and aggravated assault. 

Myles was also charged with simple escape after he was found hiding under a car in a hotel parking lot on May 16. Moody and Dennis, too, were charged with simple escape, a Louisiana State Police spokeswoman told Fox News Digital.

LOUISIANA JAIL WORKER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HELPING 10 INMATES ESCAPE ORLEANS PARISH FACILITY

Sterling Williams, 33, an employee of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.

Williams allegedly shut off water to the cell that the inmates escaped from, and rather than reporting the inmates, Murrill said, Williams helped them.

He allegedly told detectives that the escapees threatened to “shank” him if he didn’t help them break out of the jail, according to an arrest affidavit.

LOUISIANA STATE POLICE CAPTURES 4TH ESCAPED INMATE IN NOLA PRISON BREAK, 6 STILL AT LARGE

Gary C. Price is escorted to a helicopter by the Louisiana State Police and returned to jail after more than 72 hours on the run. (Louisiana State Police)

Williams told police that one of the escaped inmates attempted to grab his phone and “get him to bring a book with cash app information.” He was booked into jail on Tuesday.

“This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible. We will uncover all the facts eventually, and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows. I encourage anyone who knows anything, and even those who may have provided assistance, to come forward now to obtain the best possible outcome in their particular case,” Murrill said.

Derrick Groves, 27, who was convicted of killing two men on Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 2018, is one of the escapees still on the run. He was awaiting sentencing when he broke out of jail.

Sterling Williams is accused of helping 10 inmates escape from the Orleans Parish Jail. (Louisiana Department of Justice)

In a statement given to the New Orleans City Council on Tuesday, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson took “full accountability” for the jailbreak.

“It is deeply troubling to me, as your sheriff, and I know it is equally troubling for you, the public, who we are sworn to protect,” Hutson said.

Hutson said in a Facebook statement she takes “full accountability for what happened.”

Photos provided by Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office shows, from left top, Dkenan Dennis, Gary C. Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E. Boyd, and, bottom from left, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald, Antoine T. Massey, Derrick D. Groves and Leo Tate Sr. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office via AP)

“This breach happened under my leadership, occurred on my watch, and it is my responsibility to ensure it is addressed with urgency and transparency,” she said.

The following fugitives are still at large:

• Corey E. Boyd, 19, faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, illegal carrying of weapons involving a crime, and obstruction of justice.
• Lenton J. Vanburen Jr., 26, faces charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice, and introducing contraband in prison.
• Jermaine Donald, 42, faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, and obstruction of justice.
• Antoine Massey, 32, faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle, and a parole violation.
• Derrick Groves, 27, faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and battery of a correctional facility employee.
• Leo O. Tate Sr., 31, faces charges of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, illegal carrying of a weapon, motor vehicle theft, and multiple drug counts.

Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

In a fiery Tuesday meeting, the New Orleans City Council grilled the city’s top law enforcement officials over Friday’s 10-man jailbreak that has sent shock waves across the nation. 

During the first portion of the meeting, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was questioned by the council, headed by President Jean-Paul Morrell. 

The first bombshell came when Morrell asked Kirkpatrick when the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) became aware of the escape. 

Kirkpatrick told him she was notified by a police captain at around 10:30 a.m., and only verified the captain’s claim by looking at media reports about the escape. 

MASSIVE JAIL BREAK IN NEW ORLEANS ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ WITHOUT STAFF INVOLVEMENT, SAYS EX-FBI FUGITIVE HUNTER

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson was later questioned, and took responsibility for the escape as she addressed the council in an opening statement, calling it “unacceptable.” 

“As your sheriff, I take full accountability for this failure, and it is my responsibility to make sure it is addressed with urgency and transparency,” she said. 

“While our internal investigation continues, and while we must respect the boundaries of an active criminal investigation, I can tell you this: there were procedural failures and missed notifications,” said Hutson. “But I can also tell you this: there were intentional wrongdoings. This was a coordinated effort, aided by individuals inside our own agency, who made the choice to break the law.”

However, she shifted some of the blame to the county and city of New Orleans, saying that the department hasn’t been given adequate resources to run the jail despite what she said were multiple attempts to obtain those resources. 

VIDEO SHOWS 10 INMATES ESCAPE FROM JAIL IN NEW ORLEANS AS MANHUNT CONTINUES

Sheriff Susan Hutson speaks to the New Orleans City Council after the 10-person jail escape on May 15.

After her opening statement came a volley of questions about the timeline of events on Friday morning at the jail. 

On Hutson’s right sat Chief of Corrections Jay Mallett. Mallett and Hutson tag-teamed the answers to the council’s questions. 

The first question: what was the timeline of the escape? 

Mallett immediately obfuscated, saying he could not reveal certain details given the ongoing investigation, much to the chagrin of Morrell. 

“So [the] timeline being one of the most critical parts of what we’ve heard from, and you’re saying you can’t share those things, that they’ll jeopardize the investigation?” he asked Mallett. 

He said that at 8:44 a.m., the initial count of inmates from earlier in the morning “didn’t clear,” and was found to be incorrect. 

He disclosed to Council member Helena Moreno that the count begins routinely at around 6:45 a.m. and ends at about 7:45 a.m., leaving a gap of 46 minutes unaccounted for. 

Chief of Corrections Jay Mallett speaks to the New Orleans City Council about the mass jail escape.

By 8:57 a.m., he said, a lockdown had been initiated, and it was determined that two inmates were missing. 

However, a full search of the jail by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office for missing inmates didn’t happen until 9:30 a.m., and the U.S. Marshals Service was not notified until after that was completed. 

When Moreno pressed, Mallett couldn’t tell the council when exactly it realized that 10 inmates were missing. 

Morrell asked Mallett when NOPD was notified, and Mallett could not tell him, saying there were “missed” steps in the reporting chain. 

“The delay between when your count happened and when the public notification came out is anywhere from two to three hours,” Morrell said. “That’s a tremendous amount of time that expands the radius of where these people can go and where they could be. There’s a substantial breach of public trust when you look at the timeline.”

Hutson eventually jumped in and explained that during the frenzy over the potential escape, corrections officers had to account for 1,400 inmates and view more than 90 security cameras. This measure, she said, was taken to be certain that they told outside authorities exactly which inmates were missing in order to ensure authorities weren’t searching for people who were still in lockup. 

“You also can’t give out false information about who’s missing,” she said.”[If] one person was found elsewhere in the facility, but now law enforcement was looking for them, that would waste resources.” 

Maintenance worker arrested for allegedly aiding escapees, says he was threatened

The Orleans Parish Jail maintenance worker arrested in connection with the escape reportedly said he was threatened with violence by the escapees before helping them get loose. 

Sterling Williams, 33, an employee of the sheriff’s office, has been charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office, according to a Tuesday morning statement from Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office. 

Murrill said Williams turned the water off in the cell the inmates escaped from, and that instead of reporting the inmates, he helped them. 

Williams told police that the escapees threatened to “shank” him if he didn’t aid them in their breakout and turn the water off, an arrest affidavit stated.

“By turning off the water to cell 6 bottom in the 1D dorm, Williams willfully and maliciously assisted with the escape of the 10 inmates. With the water being turned off, the inmates were able to successfully make good on their escapes. Williams admitted to agents he committed the acts after he was directed to do so by one of the inmates who escaped, Antoine Massey,” the affidavit stated.

According to the affidavit, Williams was seen on a video surveillance camera talking with two of the inmates who escaped. Williams told police that one of the inmates, Derrick Groves, tried to take his phone and get him to “bring a book with cash app information to his cousin in the next pod over.”

Click here to read the affidavit.

He also told police that one of the escaped inmates tried to take his phone and “get him to bring a book with cash app information,” according to the affidavit.

Murrill said Williams’ total bond was set at $1.1 million, $100,000 for each charge he’s facing.

“If you are helping any of the escaped inmates in any way, you too will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law!” Murrill said.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately return a comment request. 

Sterling Williams is accused of helping 10 inmates escape from the Orleans Parish Jail. (Louisiana Department of Justice)

7 FUGITIVES REMAIN ON THE RUN AFTER NOLA PRISON BREAK; INSIDE JOB SUSPECTED

The release said he was booked into the same jail where he allegedly helped the inmates escape, but that he will be transferred to a different facility.

“This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible. We will uncover all the facts eventually and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows. I encourage anyone who knows anything, and even those who may have provided assistance, to come forward now to obtain the best possible outcome in their particular case,” said Murrill.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is calling for a full investigation of the incident. (Louisiana Attorney General’s Office)

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BLASTS ‘PROGRESSIVE PROMISES’ AFTER NEW ORLEANS JAIL ESCAPE

Ten inmates escaped from the prison early Friday morning, and six remain on the run as of midday Tuesday. 

The most recent arrest came on Monday night. 

Gary C. Price, 21, who was in jail awaiting trial on multiple counts of attempted murder, was captured by the Louisiana State Police (LSP). 

LSP said Tuesday morning that Price was arrested in New Orleans East by their detectives and a SWAT team. He was flown by helicopter back to jail. 

New Orleans jail escapee Gary Price is escorted to a helicopter by police officers who captured him. (Louisiana State Police)

However, the escapee considered most dangerous is Derrick Groves, 27, who remains at large. 

He was convicted of killing two men on Mardi Gras in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward in 2018, and was in jail awaiting sentencing. 

According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Groves was indicted federally on nine counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, eight counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, six counts of obstruction of justice and two counts of drug trafficking conspiracy.

Gary Price was escorted to a helicopter by the Louisiana State Police and returned to jail after more than 72 hours on the run. (Louisiana State Police)

Orleans Parish district attorney says he and his prosecutors fear retribution from escapees 

On Monday, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said he and his prosecutors feared retribution from Groves and the other escapees. He said that as soon as he learned of the escape, he notified prosecutors who had tried cases against the suspects and coordinated with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) to get them out of town.

“I am personally afraid, not just for myself but for my lawyers who tried the case against the individual twice,” Williams said, referring to Groves, during a news conference. 

Williams reportedly tried Groves twice, and the convicted killer was tried a total of three times in New Orleans. 

Orleans Parish DA Jason Williams and Orleans Parish Jail. (AP/Orleans Parish District Attorney)

He was first convicted and given two life sentences for killing two people on Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 2018. One of the convictions was overturned, leading to a second trial that ended in a mistrial. A third trial saw Groves convicted unanimously. 

“We were asking for a life sentence of this man, and he is now at large,” Williams said. “Two of the lawyers who I tried that case with, who successfully went forward and [were] able to get a conviction in that case, these lawyers got out of town this weekend with their families out of fear of retribution.”