Two Girls One Ghost – Episode 360: Lake Lanier’s Deadly Waters & Drowned History

Release Date: February 15, 2026
Hosts: Corinne Vien & Sabrina Deana-Roga

Episode Overview

In this haunting and heavily-researched episode, Corinne and Sabrina return to the fabled Lake Lanier, shifting from their previous coverage of just hauntings to now deeply exploring the submerged, silenced, and tragic Black history beneath its waters. Originally known for ghostly legends, Lake Lanier's greater story is rooted in racial violence, forced displacement, and a legacy that physically and spiritually haunts its deadly waters. The hosts aim to honor Black History Month by giving voice to the erased town of Oscarville, the stories of those lost, and the chilling curses said to linger.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Revisiting Lake Lanier: More Than Just Ghost Stories

• Context & Motivation
  • Five years prior, the podcast covered Lake Lanier mostly as a site of paranormal activity. (02:15–03:28)
  • The hosts admit that the story’s true, drowned history, especially the violent expulsion of Black residents, was omitted—an erasure mirrored in much of American media and local lore.

“The stories of Lake Lanier are not just campfire stories because they are very much warnings. Beneath the calm surface lies a graveyard of people. Of a town. Of a Black community who was violently displaced and erased.” – Corinne (05:12)

2. The Surface Allure vs. Lethal Reputation

• Dual Nature:
  • Lake Lanier appears idyllic, with thousands flocking annually for recreation. Yet, beneath the surface lies death, loss, and frequent, often inexplicable accidents. (06:00–07:54)
• Statistics:
  • Over 700 deaths since its creation, with stories of car accidents, unexplained drownings, and recurrent bodies resurfacing.
  • “Since Lake Lanier’s creation, over 700 people have died here. Cars drive off bridges with no skid marks. Experienced swimmers sink like stones. Boats catch fire. And every time the water levels drop... the lake spits something or someone back out.” – Corinne (07:25)

3. The Violent Cleansing of Oscarville

A. Oscarville’s Promise

• Early 1900s: Oscarville, Forsyth County, GA, was a thriving Black community soon after emancipation—land-owning, with vibrant businesses and strong communal ties. (13:45–14:44)

B. Racial Terror & The 1912 Lynchings

• A series of accusations against Black men following attacks on two white women triggers racial terror:
  • Revered Grant Smith, a Black preacher, is publicly beaten by mobs.
  • Three Black men (Rob Edwards, Ernest Knox, Oscar Daniel) are accused, with scant or dubious evidence, and face racist “trials.” (17:10–21:18)
  • Edwards is brutally lynched; the two teenagers executed after farcical trials; crowds gather in a festival-like atmosphere.

“Bands of white vigilantes formed what they called the Knight Riders ... used arson, dynamite, and notes on doors or just went up, beat up, roughed up, and threatened families... said, if you don’t leave within 24 hours, you die.” – Corinne (21:55)

• In one year, over 1,000 Black residents flee under threat—property lost, graves abandoned, and an entire thriving community erased. (22:00–24:51)

4. The Manipulation of Memory: Lake Lanier’s Creation

• Post-Oscarville: By the 1950s, white families possess the land, only to lose it by eminent domain for a federal reservoir project. They are compensated, unlike their Black predecessors. (28:49–29:14)
• The Flooding:
  • Lake Lanier (named for Confederate poet Sidney Lanier) is created by flooding towns, roads, cemeteries (many undiscovered or unrelocated), and farmlands.
  • Entire structures, bridges, and even a racetrack remain submerged. Remnants like petrified trees and foundation ruins create a literal and metaphoric ghost town beneath the surface. (31:46–36:07)

“They just flooded on top of some of the buildings. And divers will go down... and report seeing like super creepy, surreal things... some structures are still perfectly preserved.” – Corinne (32:55)

5. Hauntings, Curses, and The Unrest Below

A. The Lady of the Lake

• Origin Story:
  • In 1958, two women, Susie Roberts and Delia Mae Parker Young, vanish after driving off a bridge. Delia’s decomposed, handless body surfaces 18 months later; decades later, Susie’s car (and corpse) is found. (37:19–44:49)
• Haunting:
  • Sightings of a woman in a blue dress (matching Delia’s) with no hands, wandering the bridge—sometimes beckoning or staring into the water. Seen less often after both women are finally interred together.

“People driving across the Lanier Bridge at night begin to report seeing a woman walking alongside the road… realized that this woman had no hands.” – Corinne (41:11)

B. The Grabbing Hands

• Numerous survivor reports of invisible, human-like hands (sometimes described as skeletal) pulling swimmers under; many escape, but others vanish with no rational explanation. (45:16–46:42)

C. The Shadowy Raft

• Fishermen and others recount a mysterious raft with a shadowy figure propelling it by pole at impossible depths and speeds; in one tale, it leaps into the water and vanishes completely when illuminated (52:41–55:08).

D. The Catfish Legends & Underwater Anomalies

• Mythical catfish “the size of a car” and eerie feelings among divers.
• Persistent sense of being watched, and reports of “seeing people underwater.”

E. The Curse: Accidents and Statistics

• Deaths occur under mysteriously benign conditions—calm water, strong swimmers, no apparent cause.
• Bodies recovered far from entry points; boats capsize or are hit by rogue waves without explanation. (57:48–59:24)

6. Natural vs. Supernatural Explanations

• Some explanations for deaths: submerged petrified trees and debris, drastic temperature drops, murky waters, and alcohol/partying. Still, these do not account for the heightened level of accidents, which surpasses similar lakes despite comparable traffic. (61:43–63:51)
• Reminders: If visiting, prioritize safety and respect—never forget the erased history beneath your feet.

“Lake Lanier is proof that you cannot wash away history. You can flood it. You can rename it. You can drive a boat over it. But the memory of what happened is still there.” – Corinne (63:51)

Listener Stories & Memorable Moments

1. The Tugging Hands (67:26)

• Listener S. describes swimming at Lake Lanier, feeling her leg grabbed and tugged unexpectedly, and scrambling to safety. She concludes: “It really felt like something was grabbing my ankle.” (67:36)

2. The Raft Figure Saying “The End Is Near” (69:14)

• 11-year-old listener Brody sees a raft with a shadowy, unnaturally fast figure repeating “The end is near.” Only Brody can see and hear it; her parents see nothing, and she escapes as the raft nearly boards their boat. (69:47)

“It was getting closer and closer at a rate of speed that a human pushing a raft could definitely not go at... [it] got so close that it was basically almost climbing onto our boat. But luckily we got to shore just then and I ran screaming out of the boat.” – Brody (70:24)

• Corinne and Sabrina agree: the hand is preferable over being the raft’s target!

Notable Quotes

• “It is actively haunted and seeking vengeance—with good reason.” – Sabrina (07:54)
• “Following the lynchings... bands of white vigilantes formed... [and] used arson, dynamite, fired guns into homes, and posted notes on doors: if you don't leave within 24 hours, you die.” – Corinne (21:55)
• “‘Lake Lanier is universally known by locals to be cursed. The reputation of the lake is so bad that there are people in Georgia who refuse to ever dip a toe in there.” – Corinne (09:08)
• “Water is a conduit to spirits, right? ...the energy is still there and can manifest in this deadly way.” – Corinne (12:16)
• “You cannot wash away history. ... The memory of what happened is still there." – Corinne (63:51)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Content | |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:25–03:28 | Episode introduction, context, and shift in coverage focus | | 05:10–07:54 | The deadly reputation & hidden graveyard of Lake Lanier | | 13:45–24:51 | The Rise and Fall of Oscarville, 1912 Lynchings, Mass Displacement | | 28:49–36:07 | Lake Construction, Submersion, Cemeteries, & Underwater Ruins | | 37:01–45:07 | Lady of the Lake—Story, Sightings, Identification, Haunting | | 45:16–46:42 | The grabbing hands and underwater terror | | 52:41–55:08 | The shadowy raft encounters and chilling fisherman tale | | 57:48–59:24 | The “curse”—accidents, survivor testimony, and statistics | | 67:26–68:18 | Listener S.’s “grabbing hands” personal account | | 69:14–71:01 | Listener Brody’s “raft figure” experience: chilling, prophetic menace|

Tone and Takeaways

• The episode’s tone is somber, angry, and reverent toward the victims of Oscarville and Lake Lanier’s legacy, with the hosts oscillating between outrage, sorrow, and awe at both the human and supernatural stories.
• The hosts encourage listeners to respect the history, spread awareness of Oscarville’s erasure, and exercise caution if visiting the lake—reminding all that some spirits, and their stories, remain restless until justice and remembrance are served.

“If you decide to go to Lake Lanier, please wear a life jacket... Be hypervigilant... And if you ever see the lady of Lake Lanier, you better be emailing us this story.” – Corinne (63:51)

For further reading or to share your own encounters and family histories connected to Lake Lanier, listeners are encouraged to email the hosts.

End of Summary