HIAWASSEE — Authorities are investigating after a woman’s body was discovered near a dock on Lake Chatuge.

Release:

Hiawassee, GA (May 11, 2026) – The GBI is investigating the death of Shelley Lynn Dietrich, age 59, of Murphy, NC. Dietrich was found deceased in Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, GA.

At about 10:50 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, Towns County 911 was contacted by a boater concerning a woman found in the water near the end of a dock at Marina Station on Lake Chatuge. The Towns County Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded to the scene. The woman was later identified as Dietrich.

Dietrich will be sent to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

The Towns County Sheriff’s Office requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to assist in the investigation. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources was also requested to assist in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Field Office in Cleveland at 706-348-4866. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.