Two people lost their lives in an unusual accident on Center Hill Lake Monday afternoon at a Floating Mill camp ground boat ramp
The bodies of a man and woman were found floating in the water near their submerged Toyota Tundra pickup truck with a fishing boat and trailer still attached to the vehicle. The truck and boat were only a few feet from shore in about seven feet of water.
The accident is under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the names of the victims have not yet been released.
The couple had either been trying to launch the boat or pull it out of the water when the tragedy occurred.
Dustin Johnson, Captain of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad told WJLE that his crew was summoned to the lake at 2:47 p.m. and upon arrival found the bodies of the man and woman floating in the water several feet from their truck and boat. He said the medical examiner was notified and came to the scene. The bodies were recovered, brought to shore in a rescue squad boat, and then transported to St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital by DeKalb EMS.
Others on the scene were members of the TWRA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Team, and several officers of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
A wrecker from Gill’s Automotive was used to pull the truck and boat & trailer back up the ramp to shore.
Johnson dove down to attach the tow chain to the truck. The rescue squad later used sonar to make sure there were no other victims.
(VIDEO BELOW SHOWS WHITE TOYOTA TUNDRA WITH A BOAT AND TRAILER ATTACHED BEING PULLED FROM THE LAKE BY A GILL AUTOMOTIVE TOW TRUCK AT THE END OF A BOAT RAMP AT FLOATING MILL CAMP GROUND)
(VIDEO BELOW SHOWS DUSTIN JOHNSON OF THE SMITHVILLE-DEKALB COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD DIVING TO ATTACH TOW CHAIN TO THE TRUCK WITH OTHER RESCUE SQUAD VOLUNTEERS AND DIVER AT THE SCENE)