Prominent attorney Page Pate drowns off Georgia coast while swimming with his son

A prominent Georgia defense attorney who often provided expert legal analysis for news organizations covering high-profile cases drowned over the weekend while swimming in waters near his coastal home, a coroner said Tuesday. Page Pate, 55, worked for more than 25 years as a trial lawyer and divided his time between offices in Atlanta and Brunswick on the coast.

Pate's death was also confirmed Tuesday by Pate, Johnson & Church, an Atlanta-based law firm, CBS affiliate WGCL-TV reported.

"Once the shock wears off, it's just hurt. And there's no easy way about getting rid of that, except for time and grieving. But I think one thing we can also take with us is the celebrations of this man's life," said Tom Church, Pate's legal partner.