A Dahlonega resident was found dead in the Chestatee River last Monday afternoon after being reported missing the night before, said officials with the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office.

The body of Richard Patrick Parks, 50, was reportedly discovered by his brother-in-law just off the shoreline in the upper section of the river near Beasley Lane. The cause of death had yet to be determined, but foul play is not suspected, said Investigator Wesley Burnett.

“It’s still under investigation,” he said Monday afternoon. “It’s pending the results of the autopsy.”

Concerned family members called the LCSO the evening of Sunday, October 14 when they discovered Parks had left his residence and had not returned.

“An officer responded, took the report, checked the area and put out a lookout,” said Burnett. “Then the following day they called back and said they located him.”

An LCSO report indicated that Parks did not appear to have suffered any injuries that were immediately visible.

“It hasn’t been actually ruled a drowning,” Burnett said. “He had a medical history so nothing has been ruled out at this point.”

The death is a joint investigation between the LCSO and Georgia Bureau of Investigations.