HAMPTON, Tenn. (WOKI / TWRA) —Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) wardens are investigating the eighth boating fatality of the year following an incident on Watauga Lake.
On Friday, May 8, at approximately 7 p.m., TWRA dispatch was notified of a boating incident on Watauga Lake at Rat Branch boat ramp. The caller stated that the operator of a vessel had fallen overboard in the no‑wake zone and did not resurface.
The victim, identified as Alexander C. Luster, 36, of Boone, North Carolina, was participating in a bass tournament and fell overboard prior to the start of the event.
TWRA wardens and first responders arrived on scene, secured the vessel and associated evidence, and began searching the area where Mr. Luster was last seen. The wardens located the victim using a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) and Carter County Rescue Squad divers recovered his body at approximately 11:35 p.m.
An autopsy has been ordered, and the incident remains under investigation. This incident marks the eighth boating fatality in Tennessee this year. TWRA urges all boaters and anglers to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jacket while on the water.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency protects, manages, and conserves fish and wildlife for the benefit of Tennesseans and visitors, and maintains public safety through law enforcement and boating and hunter education.
