A Kentucky man has been handed an eight-year prison sentence after a fatal boating collision on Norris Lake last year took the life of a child, officials from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reported. Norman Sturgill, 62, from Grayson, Ky., was at the helm of a boat with a blood alcohol level over twice the legal limit when the tragic accident occurred.

Sturgill, facing charges of vehicular homicide by intoxication and twelve counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, entered a guilty plea at the Claiborne County Courthouse before Criminal Court Judge Zack Walden; ordered Sturgill to not only serve time but also contribute $5,000 to the Victim’s Assessment Fund and, after his release, he is banned from operating any motorized vehicles including boats for eight years, as per TWRA's release.

The incident unfolded on July 22, 2023, when Sturgill's 19-foot Triton bass boat collided with a 24-foot Chaparral carrying the victim, a male child, near Norris Landing Marina; the collision proved fatal for the young passenger. In the aftermath, authorities measured Sturgill's Blood Alcohol Concentration at a staggering 0.198%.

In a statement obtained by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the victim's family attorney, Don Bosch, relayed the family's mixed feelings of closure and eternal loss, saying "On behalf of the Catlett family, this conviction and immediate jail sentence brings some closure to them, although it never will bring their son, Connor, back to them. At the very least, the Catlett family hopes that this speedy conviction and lengthy jail sentence will serve as a reminder that operating a boat impaired can have devastating consequences." Tennessee bears the brunt of such tragedies with alcohol being a major factor in boating mishaps within the state, last year saw 23 boating fatalities and a worrying 129 Boating Under the Influence arrests, with three already recorded fatalities this year, TWRA continues their patrol to clamp down on impaired boating.