Friends and family grieved the loss of a 19-year-old University of Tennessee student who drowned in Norris Lake over the holiday weekend.
The Tennessee Wildlife and Resources Agency (TWRA) said the accident happened Saturday evening after William Blasius dove into the water and struck a boat.
Instead of focusing on the details of his loss, his closest childhood friends are choosing to remember Blasius at his best.
“It’s just natural for us to be together, especially in these tough times,” long-time friend Tommy Pridemore said. “He’s one of the best friends you could ever ask for.”
“That guy didn’t get much sleep at all,” Max Bacon said. “He’d be up and at ‘em with so much energy, and so much love in his heart.”
Friends said Blasius was a passionate soccer and football fan who had just completed his first year at UT.
“Will loved people,” Pridemore said. “His main hobby was people. You would never find that kid alone unless he was binge-watching Game of Thrones.”
Blasius' drowning was one of at least a dozen boating incidents investigators responded to over the July 4th weekend.
Matthew Cameron of TWRA said every available officer has been out on patrol.
“We’ve had a couple of boats sink, we’ve had two boat fires, and we’ve had two drownings,” Cameron said. “I think it’s one of the busiest July 4th weekends that I can remember.”
Cameron said he urgers boaters to take heed of proper safety precautions; always wear a life jacket, never drink while operating a watercraft, and keep the boat properly illuminated with navigation lights after dusk.
For Blasius' friends, the holiday marks the memory of an athlete, scholar and brother.
"You can't take life for granted. Live every day like Will did. Enjoy it, love it,” friend Joseph Hanna said.
