Man, daughter die in ‘tragic accident’ in swimming pool

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4. A Wilkes County man and his grown daughter died Thursday, February 11, in what investigators are calling “a tragic accident.”
5. Dr. Paul J. Bennett, 79, and his daughter, Deady Louise Bennett Sinagra, 50, were found Thursday morning at the Bennett home by a family friend. Both were in the home’s pool and both were deceased, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Gary Nicholson said.
6. Wilkes County deputies, rescue, and emergency medical personnel responded to the home first, Sheriff Mark Moore said, and the GBI was called in to help with the investigation.
7. An autopsy indicated that Bennett had died of a heart attack, and that Sinagra had drowned, Nicholson said. “Anything beyond that is speculation,” he said. “Her drowning appears to be accidental. There’s no indication of foul play.”
8. There was also no indication of electrocution in the incident. “It was just a tragic accident,” Nicholson said.
9. The initial report is only preliminary, Nicholson said. “Once we get all the toxicology reports back, we’ll turn this over to the District Attorney’s office and they will rule whether to go further with it or to close it as it is, but there’s no indication that it was anything other than an accident.”
10. Bennett was a geologist and owner of Bennett Mineral Co. His daughter was president of the family business, which produces Soft Paw cat litter at a quarry and plant in Virginia.
11. Obituary information is on page 2A.