Two boaters spot body floating in water beside kayak in Tennessee lake, officials say
A man’s body was found floating in the water near a boat launch area in a Tennessee lake on April 3, officials said.
Two boaters noticed the man’s body close to an anchored kayak in Percy Priest Lake near the Jefferson Springs boat launch around 1:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
The man was identified as 51-year-old Bobby Smotherman from Eagleville, the agency said.
Smotherman’s death is under investigation, according to officials, who said it was the result of an “incident involving a paddlecraft.”
Smotherman was not wearing a life jacket when his body was recovered, according to the agency.
Rutherford County EMS, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the Rutherford County Fire Department assisted the agency in responding to the incident.
Of the six boating-related deaths reported by the TWRA in 2022, three have involved a paddlecraft, according to the agency.
McClatchy News reached out to the TWRA and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for more information on April 4 and did not receive an immediate response.
The Jefferson Springs Recreation Area and boat launch are about 28 miles southeast of Nashville.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Two boaters spot body floating in water beside kayak in Tennessee lake, officials say."
