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Two young people taken to hospital after inner tube collides with pontoon boat on Fort Loudoun Lake

TWRA and Knox County Rescue said their injuries were "serious."

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Two young people were taken to an area hospital after an inner tube being pulled by a personal watercraft collided with a pontoon near Sailboat Cove in Fort Loudoun Lake, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Knox County Rescue said its water team and Rural Metro Fire responded with AMR. The incident occurred at about 1:20 p.m. Monday in the Holder Branch area, according to TWRA.

Frank Talo of Knoxville was operating a personal watercraft that towed an inner tube, according to TWRA. The juveniles were on the inner tube.

They were "slung" into the side of an anchored pontoon boat, according to TWRA.

One of the injured victims was knocked unconscious. Both wore life jackets, according to TWRA.

The young people were recovered from the water and brought to a nearby dock, according to Jeff Bagwell, a spokesperson with Rural Metro Fire. 

“It took us a while to find them because they were giving dispatchers locations that weren’t there,” Bagwell said.

TWRA and Knox County Rescue said their injuries were "serious." Bagwell said one had a "lower extremity injury." 

Bagwell said he feared that authorities could be called to more incidents during the holiday so he urged everyone to be safe and use caution while on the water and wear lifejackets when appropriate.

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