I was just thinking that this guy is not going to make it if we don’t find him soon.”Įdgar says officers told him someone could become brain-dead in that water after only four minutes.įishers Fire Department says they were able to get to the water in just four minutes and the man was out of the water three minutes later.īut by then, it was too late. It was dark, it was murky, it was just freaking me out. It was just so deep there, I couldn’t … I couldn’t see. “He went to pull up an anchor and she heard him fall and go in the water and that’s the last she heard of him,” Edgar said.Įdgar said they went searching for a couple of minutes trying to find the man around a pontoon, but there wasn’t any sign of him. The waters were calm around Geist Reservoir until just before midnight, when Sam Edgar saw a woman run up to his door with a flashlight saying something had happened to the man she was with. (WISH) - A man died early Saturday morning in what Fishers Fire Department called a tragic incident at Geist Reservoir. You may have heard the rumors of being able to see remnants of the town, specifically a church steeple when the reservoir is low, but there is no proof that any buildings remain.FISHERS, Ind. By the mid-1980s, much of Geist’s shore had been developed, and a building boom commenced. The approval allowed Shorewood to rezone 280 acres surrounding the reservoir for 500 homes. After years of political back and forth from all sides of the matter, in 1978, the Metropolitan Development Commission approved a request from the Shorewood Corporation for development. Fishing was allowed, and a few picnic tables were provided, but boating was banned until 1953. By March 17, 1943, Geist Reservoir was filled to capacity and officially named for the former IWC president.įor years, the surrounding area was left largely untouched.

On August 6, 1942, Fall Creek was redirected into outlet piping in the dam. While some of this land was wooded, most of it was farmland of previous Germantown residents. Nearly 1,800 acres of land needed to be cleared for the reservoir.

On April 19, 1941, the Indianapolis Public Service Commission granted construction authorization by May 26, 1941, initial work began at the site. At the time, the club was one of the most luxurious and private in the world. One of his biggest successes was the purchase and transformation of the Cloister Inn into the Boca Raton Club in Florida. After trying his hand at cattle ranching and real estate, Geist moved into utilities. Born in LaPorte, Indiana, to a farmer, Geist quickly began to aim higher. In 1913, the Indianapolis Water Company (IWC) came under the new management of Clarence H. Several reservoirs had been suggested in the previous years, but no ideas had taken off. As of the 1920s, Indianapolis had no above-ground reservoirs and primarily drew its water from the White River. The town thrived quietly for decades until massive growth in the Indianapolis area created a need for a new water source. Today, this is the line between Hamilton and Marion counties. Germantown was situated between Fall Creek and Lawrence Townships. Tiny hamlets dotted the Fall Creek banks throughout the countryside of central Indiana. This was a similar setup to many other towns in the area. It was situated along the north side of Fall Creek, which provided the residents with power for the mill, fishing, and transportation.

Geist reservoir drowning today