Note: This story was last updated at 3:40 p.m. July 3.
ANDERSONVILLE—A man drowned after jumping off a houseboat a few hours before a fireworks show at Sequoyah Marina in Andersonville on Saturday evening, authorities said.
The man was reported to have jumped into the water from the top deck of a large houseboat tied to the shore along with other houseboats, said Mark Lucas, chief deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.
He said the Sheriff’s Department is investigating the possibility that the man might have hit his head on another boat.
Divers recovered the man’s body under water, authorities said. His name and age haven’t been released yet.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Sergeant Roy Smith requested rescuers after he received a report that a man jumped off either a bridge or a wall about 35 feet into the water, spokesman Matthew Cameron said Sunday.
The drowning was reported Saturday evening, a few hours before the start of Fire on the Water at Sequoyah Marina, the largest private Independence Day fireworks show in Tennessee. There were thousands of people at the show on the shore, in boats on the water, and in boats docked at the marina.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department was reported to still be investigating the drowning at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Among the agencies that responded were TWRA, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad, Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and Claxton Fire Department, which brought a system that can refill air bottles, including for divers. A medical examiner also responded, and a few chaplains were called to the scene.
Note: Please see newer story here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
