One dead, two hypothermic after canoe flips in popular lake, Tennessee officials say
Three men were canoeing before their boat flipped, sending them into a cold Tennessee lake, officials said.
One person died and two others were hypothermic after the incident on Sunday, March 6, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Officials said the boat overturned at Watts Bar Lake, roughly 60 miles southwest of Knoxville. The area is home to a dam and outdoor activities ranging from fishing to paddling, according to the Visit Knoxville website.
The three men were at a nearby campground before they set out in the canoe. The boat later flipped in water that was 40 to 50 feet deep, wildlife officials said in a news release.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said it joined local agencies in responding at about 3:30 p.m. Eastern time to a report of people in the Sand Island area of the lake. All three men reportedly were wearing life jackets and tried to swim to shore.
“Two of the men were hypothermic and treated on scene,” the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said in its release. “The third man was pronounced dead on scene (and) was transported to the Rhea County Medical Examiner’s Office.”
The deceased man was later identified as 42-year-old Gershom Jackson. He lived in nearby Ten Mile.
At the time that the boat overturned, winds were up to 20 mph and the water temperature was 54 degrees. A person can experience hypothermia when water temperatures drop below 70 degrees, University of Michigan Health said on its website.
Hypothermia happens when someone is exposed to the cold for long periods of time and can cause confusion, shivering and exhaustion. Anyone who sees a person with those symptoms is urged to seek medical help and try to keep the person warm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 9:37 AM with the headline "One dead, two hypothermic after canoe flips in popular lake, Tennessee officials say."
