Gallery

A memorial gallery which incudes a statement from a local newspaper covering Eric’s passing, various pictures, and a video taken just before his accident.

Man’s body pulled from quarry

By Sharon Swanepoel
The Loganville Tribune

Published June 13, 2008

— Just before noon Wednesday, divers recovered the body of 20-year-old Eric Hill of Loganville who had disappeared into the water after diving off a ledge in the old rock quarry off the day before.

According to Walton County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Bruce Wright, authorities had been called to the location at about 4:30 p.m. the day before by friends who had been swimming with Hill. The friends said the 2007 graduate had dived off the side of the quarry into the water below, resurfaced once and then disappeared back under the water.

The friends, who had been unable to locate Hill in the water, called 9-1-1.

“We searched for a few hours but couldn’t locate him either at that time,” Wright said.

The WCSO as well as county fire and emergency services personnel were joined Wednesday morning by members of the Social Circle Department of Public Safety and Rockdale and Elbert counties sheriff’s offices. Just before noon a diver signaled he had located the body.

The family of Hill waited at the entrance to the quarry where WCSO parked the emergency trailer to offer some respite from the heat.

“It is just a tragic situation,” Wright said. “It doesn’t appear there were any drugs or alcohol involved — they were just kids being kids trying to beat the heat.”

Wright estimated the water to be as deep as 100 feet in some parts and put the ledge where kids usually jump or dive off at about 40 feet up from the water’s surface. Although the water itself is fenced off, the surrounding property has been designated as greenspace for residents in the subdivision. However, people have to be a resident or accompanied by a resident to enter.

Wright said he wasn’t sure whether any of the people were authorized to be in the area at the time but said it was a tragedy under any circumstances.

Hill, a former LHS wrestler, was also a member of in Loganville. Pastor Derik Lawrence, who was authorized to speak on behalf of the family, said in such a loss, more people are impacted by it than people might think.

The pastor said Hill’s father, Mark Hill, was the young man’s hero and it was a respect that was returned.

“The respect and love shown to his father was witnessed by many and Eric was the kind of young man that every father dreamed about for two reasons,” said. “One, to be the kind of son that Eric exemplified is found few and far between and two, Eric’s the kind of young man that any father would want to marry his daughter.

“Eric was humble, honest, hardworking and most of all dedicated to the Lord. He has made a great impact and has had an incredible influence in Loganville. He has given all of us a model to live by. What a shame it would be if we let the memory of Eric slip out and not be challenged to take our lives, goals and relationships and walk with the Lord to a higher level.”

Lawrence said the family wanted to make sure that everyone was formally thanked for the huge recovery effort put forth — in particular the homeowners of Anslee Lake subdivision who brought down coolers and snacks and offered chairs and most of all prayers, the entire Walton County emergency teams from the sheriff’s office to the county workers who assisted in the recovery effort, the Red Cross, Victory Baptist Church and other churches that had representatives to assist and minister.

“It was wonderful, it really was, to know that other people care and want to help you when you need it the most,” said were Mark Hill’s words when referring to the response from the community.

added the father was especially grateful to the dive teams from as well as and to the team that recovered his son, the dive team.

“His emotional thank you to them was, ‘Thank you, thank you for getting my boy,’” said.

Although Mark Hill did not want to do a public interview, noted the father did say the only thing he wanted the community to know was how good a boy his son really was.

“The only thing he did was read his Bible and go to church ... he was really a good boy,” quoted Mark Hill as saying. “Eric’s life verse was Romans 12:2, ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’”

Mark Hill told he wanted everyone to know his son lived by that verse.

The funeral service for Hill will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at in Loganville. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. tonight at Tim Stewart Funeral Home in Loganville.

A memorial blog has been set up at the church’s website, www.victorybc.org.

“Eric not only talked the talk, he walked the walk,” said [a church member who knew him]. “His testimony was impeccable as a Christian. He made stands that set the mark for many of our young people. His main desire was that for everyone he knew, whether it was family or friends, to have a relationship with the Lord. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.”