DECATUR COUNTY, Tenn.— The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has recovered the bodies of two missing boaters from the Tennessee River. Divers recovered the body of a 19-year-old male and an 18-year-old male Sunday afternoon around river mile marker 171. The body of a 57-year-old female was recovered last night.
Search crews conducted surface and sonar scans in attempts to locate the missing boaters on the Tennessee River. The Decatur County EMA, Decatur County Rescue, Decatur County Sheriff Department, Decatur County EMS, Benton County Rescue, Henderson County Rescue, Carroll County Rescue, Carroll County Dive Team, West TN Dive Team, Lake County Rescue, Hardin County Rescue, Hardin County EMA, Tennessee Highway Patrol and TWRA assisted in the search.
The preliminary investigation indicates that a Baja boat with three occupants collided with a barge traveling downstream around mile marker 171 at approximately 9 p.m. on August 6. The body of a 57-year-old female was recovered and pronounced dead at the scene. The boating incident is under investigation. This is the 22nd boating related fatality this year.