By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Benton County, Tenn.—Several area rescue squads working together have recovered the body of a missing Bruceton man from the Tennessee River this morning.
Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christopher told WENK/WTPR at 8 a.m. Sunday morning that the body had been recovered. Last night, two cadaver dogs had alerted to the same spot in the river and rescue squads were using their sonar equipment to pinpoint the body.
Recovery efforts have been underway since 5 p.m. Thursday when witnesses reported a man had jumped from the New Johnsonville Bridge on Hwy. 70E.
Christopher said the missing man is a 21-year-old from Bruceton and it is suspected that he took his own life. The name will not be released until Death Investigator Phillip Christopher arrives at the scene and the body is positively identified.
Family members have been on the scene “every minute” since Thursday night, Christopher said. “They’ve been sleeping in their cars.”
Rescue squads from eight to nine area counties, including Benton, Henry, Carroll, Humphreys, and Hardin, have been working on the recovery effort.
Christopher said three witnesses saw the man stop his car on the bridge, got out of his car and step off the ledge of the bridge into the water. “They thought he had car trouble and they were slowing down to help him,” Christopher said.
First responders from several agencies have been on the scene since Thursday evening looking for the body. The operation is being overseen by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The TWRA is on the scene, along with the Humphreys County Rescue Squad and Fire Department and the Benton County Rescue Squad. The THP helicopter and Air Evac helicopter also were searching the area from the air.
The spot where the man jumped is 84 feet and the water below is at 55 feet deep, he said.
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