WHITE PINE, Tenn. (WOKI) — Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) game wardens are investigating the ninth boating fatality of the year following an incident this morning on Douglas Lake.
At approximately 10:56 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, TWRA dispatch received a report of an unoccupied boat found adrift near the Rankin area, across from Leadvale Access Area. The caller noted that the vessel contained fishing gear but no occupant.
TWRA game wardens and first responders arrived on scene, secured the vessel, and began searching the surrounding area. TWRA investigators located the victim’s body in approximately eight feet of water using a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV). He was not wearing a life jacket. Jefferson County Rescue Squad divers recovered the body at around 3:33 p.m.
An autopsy has been ordered, and the incident remains under investigation. The victim’s identity will be released once family notifications have been completed.
This incident marks the ninth 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.
