Prominent Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney Page Pate drowns off Georgia coast
Prominent Atlanta-based criminal defense Attorney Page Pate died in an apparent swimming accident off the Georgia coast Sunday, his law firm told USA TODAY.
He was 55.
Pate, a frequent guest on CNN, died after reportedly being swept out into a rip current off the coast of St. Simons Island, Glynn County Fire-Rescue division Chief Scott Cook told USA TODAY Wednesday.
"That's a major hazard in that area and appears to be what happened," Cook said.
The incident took place just after 2 p.m. at Gould’s Inlet beach where crews had responded to a report of two swimmers in distress.
At the scene, a rescue boat pulled Pate from the water and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A young male with him, Cook confirmed, managed to swim back to shore safely.
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'Super Lawyer'
Page graduated from Georgia State University went on to graduate from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1994, his firm Pate, Johnson & Church told USA TODAY.
For more than 25 years, Page represented people in courts across the nation, winning countless awards and recognition for his outstanding advocacy on behalf of others, including recognition as a “Super Lawyer” since 2008.
"Page later became a trusted face and voice of reason on local and national media outlets, including CNN, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and others," his firm said. Page was best known for giving his honest take and straightforward answers to some of the nation’s most pressing legal questions during one its most turbulent times.
He was also a founding member of the Georgia Innocence Project, the Federal and Atlanta Bar Associations, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and numerous other organizations dedicated to advancing justice and the legal profession.
His law firm released the following in a statement to USA TODAY:
"Page Pate was many things to many people—a husband, a father, a son, a mentor, a colleague, a friend, and most prominently, a trial lawyer, one who poured himself into his practice and fought hard for his clients. Above all, he was a true gentleman who embodied service and grace.
Some of the best things about Page won’t be in the news but will live on in the memories of the people whose lives he touched. Though he was a formidable, sometimes intimidating, attorney in the courtroom, Page had an easy smile, an earnest laugh, and a great sense of humor. He was guided by his faith and his creator, but he had an open heart and an open mind to all. Page’s passing is an enormous loss to his family, his friends, his community, and the entire legal profession. He will be deeply missed."
Pate is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, his sons, Chatham and Asher, his parents Robert and Mary Elizabeth, and his younger brother, Lane.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta criminal defense attorney Page Pate drowns off Georgia coast
