Chapel Hill man drowns in Jordan Lake. Chatham officials stress life jacket use.
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- Emergency responders recovered a 44-year-old Chapel Hill man early Monday afternoon.
- He entered the water to retrieve a drifting boat after his friends left it unattended.
- He was not wearing a life jacket when emergency crews recovered his body early Monday.
Emergency responders pulled a Chapel Hill man from Jordan Lake after he drowned Monday morning while trying to retrieve a drifting boat, deputies reported.
De Gui Yuan, 44, of Chapel Hill, was boating with three friends near a Jordan Lake access area off Martha's Chapel Church Road and Farrington Point Road when the boat was beached near the shoreline, according to a Chatham County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The friends left the boat unattended, and it later started drifting away from the shore, the release said. Yuan went into the water to get the boat, but struggled to either reach it or return safely to shore, it said.
His friends called 911 to report his drowning around 11:24 a.m., the release said. Multiple agencies responded, and emergency crews recovered Yuan’s body early Monday afternoon, it said. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, it said.
Chatham County officials urged people on Jordan Lake and other waterways this summer to wear a properly fitted life jacket whether on a boat or swimming in the water.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr. Yuan's family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” Chatham County Chief Deputy Steve Maynor said.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Chapel Hill man drowns in Jordan Lake. Chatham officials stress life jacket use.."
