Loudon Co. — UPDATE Sunday, 4:00 p.m. | TWRA has confirmed the identities of the one person who died and other two people who were on the boat that capsized near Fort Loudoun Dam.
TWRA says 23-year-old A.J. Re' of Denver, North Carolina was the one person who died after officials say the boat capsized.
TWRA says the person driving the boat was Donald McCorkle, 49, of Lincolnton, North Carolina and another passenger on the boat was Clint McCorkle, 22, also from Lincolnton.
TWRA did not specify which person is in the hospital at this time.
Investigators say three men from North Carolina were on the boat on the Tennessee River headed toward the dam. Ten of the dam's floodgates were spilling, but the men were boating towards one of the gates that was not being discharged, according to TWRA.
Officials say the boat got too close to the dam, and the force of the discharged water pulled the boat beneath the surface. Witnesses told TWRA, when the boat came back to the surface, it was sideways and the boaters were in the water.
Nearby fisherman helped rescue the three men in the water, according to TWRA. Witnesses say the boaters were all wearing life jackets when the boat went underwater, but when the men surfaced, none of them had life jackets on. Investigators believe the force of the water tore the life jackets off all three men.
PREVIOUS | TWRA says one man is dead and another is in the hospital after boat capsized near the Fort Loudoun Dam Saturday morning.
Investigators say three men from North Carolina were on the boat on the Tennessee River headed toward the dam. Ten of the dam's floodgates were spilling, but the men were boating towards one of the gates that was not being discharged, according to TWRA.
Officials say the boat got too close to the dam, and the force of the discharged water pulled the boat beneath the surface. Witnesses told TWRA, when the boat came back to the surface, it was sideways and the boaters were in the water.
Nearby fisherman helped rescue the three men in the water, according to TWRA. Witnesses say the boaters were all wearing life jackets when the boat went underwater, but when the men surfaced, none of them had life jackets on. Investigators believe the force of the water tore the life jackets off all three men.
TWRA says it will release the identity of the man who died tomorrow.