Woman trapped by boat propeller dies after jumping into lake, TN officials say

A woman was trapped by a boat propeller and died after jumping into a Tennessee lake, officials say.

The woman, later identified as 57-year-old Mary Beth Foran, went into the water to retrieve a hat but became trapped under the same boat she jumped from, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told WSMV.

First responders received a call for help at about 6 p.m. Thursday, July 3, about a boat incident at Center Hill Lake, the DeKalb County Fire Department said in a news release.

The ski boat was floating in the main channel, around 300 yards away from the marina — and Foran was trapped underneath the boat by its propeller, the department said. A man who had been driving the boat was in the water trying, unsuccessfully, to rescue Foran, according to officials.

Rescuers were able to free the woman from the propeller but she was already dead due to “traumatic injury,” firefighters said.

“The incident is being investigated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency,” the department said. “Please keep the family of the victim in your thoughts and prayers.”

Center Hill Lake is a roughly 70-mile drive east from Nashville.

This story was originally published July 6, 2025 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Woman trapped by boat propeller dies after jumping into lake, TN officials say."