Two stranded canoeists found on island at 2:30 am. A third was found dead, TN cops say

Cries for help heard in the wilderness at 2:30 a.m. led to the discovery of two stranded canoeists and a body in East Tennessee’s Chickamauga Lake, according to rescuers.

All three found themselves in the water around midnight on Monday, Nov. 13, when their canoe flipped, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says. Hamilton County is in the state’s southeast corner.

The man who died was identified as 25-year-old Joshua Murphy by Chattanoogan.com.

“Early this morning around 12:00 am, a canoe overturned with three adults near the area of Harrison Bay State Park and Patten Island,” the sheriff’s office reported.

“Two of the individuals made it to a nearby shore and built a fire to keep warm and began to yell for assistance. Fortunately, around 2:30 am, an angler nearby heard their cries for help and notified emergency personnel.”

A search was launched for the missing canoeist, leading to the discovery of a body around 8 a.m. on Nov. 14, officials said. The body was recovered by divers in about 7 feet of water, officials said.

The canoe was also found, officials said.

Identities of the other two canoeists were not released. Both were men and none of the canoeists “were wearing life jackets” when the craft flipped, WTVC reported.

Harrison Bay State Park is 1,200 acres and it has about 40 miles of shoreline along Chickamauga Lake, the state says.

This story was originally published November 15, 2023 at 4:26 AM with the headline "Two stranded canoeists found on island at 2:30 am. A third was found dead, TN cops say."