A 42-year-old Hamilton County man drowned at a boat dock on Chickamauga Lake on Saturday afternoon.
TWRA Officers responded to a 911 call around 2 p.m. for a missing person. A man loading a Bayliner cabin cruiser boat had disappeared at Chickamauga Marina.
Witnesses said the man backed his truck and trailer and was attempting to load his boat. He exited the boat and was attempting to keep the vessel off rocks near the docks. The boat, over 30 feet in length, was being pushed due to high winds. The man was not wearing a life jacket.
TWRA, along with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Dallas Bay Fire and Rescue, Chattanooga Fire Department, Hamilton County EMS, TVA Police and Hamilton County STARS responded. TWRA officers utilized the remote operated vehicle and quickly located the man in about four feet of water. The victim was transported to the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s office.
This is the 26th boating-related fatality this year.
The name of the deceased will be released after next-of-kin notifications.