Search continues for man who went lacking in Tennessee’s ‘deadliest lake’

What This Story Is About

• A person stays lacking after he went underwater whereas swimming close to Anderson Beach Recreation Area on Percy Priest Lake Monday afternoon and didn’t resurface.

Why It Matters

• The incident would mark the thirteenth boating-related loss of life in Tennessee this 12 months and the primary of the 12 months at Percy Priest Lake.

What Happens Next

• The search will resume at 8 a.m. Wednesday with assist from a bunch of volunteers from Kentucky.

For Context

• TWRA stated the person and girl had entered the water from a pontoon boat utilizing a single pool noodle for flotation when the boat started to float away and the person went underneath whereas attempting to swim again to it.

Catch Up

• TWRA responded to the lacking individual name round 4:40 p.m. Monday, launched a multi-agency search utilizing side-scan sonar, and suspended the trouble round 9:30 p.m. earlier than resuming it at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A person stays lacking after Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers stated he went underwater whereas swimming close to the Anderson Beach Recreation Area on Percy Priest Lake Monday afternoon and didn’t resurface.

TWRA responded to the lacking individual name at roughly 4:40 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. Crews have been again out looking round 8 a.m. Tuesday and continued a methodical search of the lake all through the day. There was no signal of the person as of the search’s finish.

Search particulars

A preliminary investigation signifies a person and girl have been on the lake in a pontoon boat and had entered the water for a swim utilizing a single pool noodle for flotation, in accordance with TWRA. During that point, the boat started to float away.

The man tried to swim again to the vessel however went underwater and didn’t resurface, TWRA stated. The girl, aided by the pool noodle, remained within the water and drifted for about one hour earlier than being rescued by occupants of a passing vessel.

First responders from TWRA, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, Nashville Fire Department and Metro Nashville Police Department launched a search utilizing side-scan sonar in a number of areas. In the absence of a confirmed last-seen location, crews expanded their efforts to a number of search areas.

The loss of life would mark the thirteenth boating-related loss of life in Tennessee this 12 months and the primary of the 12 months at Percy Priest Lake, in accordance with TWRA. Percy Priest is broadly considered the deadliest physique of water in Tennessee.

TWRA officers haven’t stated whether or not they consider the person was carrying a life jacket. The search has lined a lot of the world the place the pair have been swimming.

Visitors on the lake observed the search Tuesday. Amon Smith stated he and mates have been fishing for about half-hour attempting to catch bass and had not been to that space of the lake earlier than.

Smith stated he observed police boats circling the world your complete time he and his mates have been out. He stated he talked about to a pal that he puzzled what was happening earlier than TWRA crews arrived.

Smith stated he had by no means heard of earlier incidents at Percy Priest Lake and has by no means been swimming in Nashville.

“I’m always trying to have a life jacket near me at all times,” Smith stated. ”Like if I’m leaping within the water, I’m going to have a life jacket within the water subsequent to me so I can seize that factor as quickly as I get in and ensuring I’ve mates round. So, like, if something loopy occurs, I can name for them and so they might help me out.”

What’s subsequent

The search ended round 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and can resume at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

A bunch of volunteers from Kentucky will help TWRA in trying to find the lacking man, who has not been recognized.