The body of Ramon Diaz-Soria, 27, was recovered on Sunday, June 15, after he jumped into a Georgia lake the day before, authorities said
At the time of the incident, Diaz-Soria was on a boat with others celebrating a friend’s birthday
”He wasn’t just my brother—he was my best friend,” Abigail Diaz-Soria, the victim’s sister, wrote in a GoFundeMe
Authorities recovered the body of a 27-year-old man who jumped into Georgia’s Lake Lanier over the weekend and never resurfaced.

In an email to PEOPLE, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said its game wardens were notified on the afternoon of Saturday, June 14, of a drowning in a residential cove just north of Vann’s Tavern Park on Lake Lanier in Forsyth County.

According to the DNR, witnesses reported that the victim, later identified as Ramon Diaz-Soria, jumped into the water when the vessel he was on came to a stop.

“He was wearing a life jacket, but it was not properly secured,” the DNR said. “Once in the water, he went under and did not resurface, leaving his life jacket floating on the surface.”

The search for Diaz-Soria was suspended after dark Saturday and resumed the morning of Sunday, June 15. Game wardens used sonar equipment to find Diaz-Soria, whose body was found in 60 feet of water Sunday evening.

In a drowning and water death report provided to PEOPLE, the DNR said Diaz-Soria was unable to swim, according to the victim’s family and friends.

Prior to his disappearance, Diaz-Soria was on a boat with others to mark a friend’s birthday, per ABC affiliate WSB and Fox affiliate WAGA.

The victim’s sister, Abigail Diaz-Soria, said her brother’s friends “couldn’t find him” when he fell into the waters, per WAGA. “They jumped immediately in to try to get him once they knew he was missing. But they said it was just, like, it all just happened so quick, and they didn’t see anything.”

In a statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday, June 17, Abigail paid tribute to Ramon, describing him more than just a brother.

“He was the heart of our family, a constant light in our lives, and someone whose love could be felt simply by being near him. He was a gentle soul with a joyful spirit, always ready with a warm smile, a kind word, or a burst of laughter that made any room feel like home,” she wrote.

“He had a way of making people feel truly seen and deeply loved,” Abigail further said. “Whether you knew him for years or had just met him, he made you feel like you mattered. That was his gift, his ability to love so freely and so fully.”

“Ramon will always be remembered with the deepest love and the greatest gratitude. His memory is a blessing, and his spirit lives on in all of us who were lucky enough to be loved by him,” she later concluded.

Abigail organized a GoFundMe to raise money for her brother’s funeral expenses.

Melanie Meza, a friend of the family, described Diaz-Soria to WSB as a go-getter, adding, “He amazed me, how he did everything. And right now it is such a big toll on his sister.”

The Georgia DNR said that Diaz-Soria’s body was released to the coroner following the recovery.

According to Yahoo!, citing USA Today and the Georgia DNR, there were over 200 deaths at Lake Lanier between 1994 and 2022, with most fatalities caused by drowning.