KNOXVILLE, TN – After more than 80 hours of searching for a reported drowning victim in South Knoxville, the Knoxville Fire Department is scaling back recovery efforts.
The search was launched Saturday, June 14, at approximately 8:54 p.m., when emergency crews responded to reports of a possible drowning at Augusta Quarry, located within Fort Dickerson Park.
Since that time, the Knoxville Fire Department has led a comprehensive and coordinated search effort in collaboration with the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Blount County Rescue Squad. Over the course of more than 80 hours, teams have used a combination of advanced underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), surface boats, sonar technology, and shoreline sweeps in an effort to locate the missing individual.
Despite these exhaustive efforts, no victim has been located.
The Knoxville Police Department has also been actively involved, conducting an ongoing investigation into the reported incident and working closely with fire and rescue personnel to support all facets of the operation.
“We remain dedicated to doing everything we can to bring resolution to this situation,” said Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks. “We’re extremely grateful to our partner agencies and especially to the Knoxville Police Department for their continued investigative efforts. The collaboration among all teams involved has been critical during this challenging operation.”
The Knoxville Fire Department will continue to monitor the situation and evaluate the appropriate next steps in coordination with all responding agencies. Further updates will be shared as they become available.
