Lake Norman Commission Pushes for Enforcement in July 4th Drowning Case

LAKE NORMAN, North Carolina (NEWS FROM THE QUEEN’S CITY) — NC Wildlife investigators say they will continue their search to determine what happened in the moments leading up to the tragic death of Miles Merritt, who drowned in Lake Norman during the July 4 holiday.

It has been confirmed that a 27-year-old from the Charlotte area jumped from a boat into the water near a popular sandbar without a life jacket and never resurfaced.

Two of his friends jumped out after him but were unable to find him.

His body was recovered on Saturday evening close to where he disappeared.

On Monday evening, representatives of the Lake Norman Marine Commission expressed condolences and noted the difficulties of enforcing regulations on the lake.

“Lake Norman is 520 miles of shoreline, 33,000 acres, four counties,” explained Chairman Rick Howard. “Community law enforcement does a great job, but there are limits to what they can do…it’s like putting a state trooper on I-77 and saying, ‘Watch from Statesville to Charlotte.’”

In June:

• Cornelius Police responded to 114 calls for assistance.
• The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office responded to 85 calls.
• Lincoln County authorities responded to 20 calls for assistance and took 39 enforcement actions.
• NC Wildlife arrests 8 people in connection with boating incidents.

Commission members help create subcommittees that oversee parts of the lake and also work on new regulations and guidelines to help make the lake safer.

Although details about the circumstances of Merritt’s death were not released, estimates indicate that most drownings on the lake are victims of uncertified rental or charter boats.

John Johnson of the commission said: “Unwitting charters and hires have an impact. Biggest source of deaths.”

Earlier this year, Lake Norman began implementing regulations regarding boat rentals and charters.

During the pandemic, the lake has seen a sharp increase in the number of boat owners offering to rent out their boats for a fee or individuals offering to rent boats on the lake.

The commission explained that as a result, the boats were used by uninsured people, people who did not behave in a safe manner, or the captains did not undergo any certification training.

At the beginning of the year, charter companies and those renting out equipment for sailing on the lake began to be required to have appropriate certificates.

The commission reports that although hundreds of boats have received certificates, there is still much work to be done.

To learn more about rental regulations/permits – CLICK HERE.

To learn more about regulations/permits/certified charters – CLICK HERE.

There are no regulations governing use of the sandbar, which is one of the most densely populated areas on Lake Norman.

The commission said they were subject to Duke Energy regulation.