A tragic incident unfolded at the Watts Bar Reservoir where a young man's life was cut short. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) confirmed the recovery of 19-year-old Braeden Hartup's body from the waters early Sunday morning, as per a WVLT report.
The sequence of events leading to the grim discovery began Saturday evening. Authorities were alerted just after 9 p.m. following a 911 call about a male who had jumped from a boat to quickly never resurface. Hartup, along with ten other individuals, had been on an anchored pontoon near Winton Chapel Access Area slightly south of Rockwood when the incident occurred, as stated by witnesses to the TWRA.
It took officials, utilising a remote operated vehicle, until after 2 a.m. to locate and recover the body in 24 feet of water. Details from WATE note that Hartup was not wearing a life jacket when he jumped off the front of the boat for a swim. His body was subsequently transported to the Knox County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
This incident marks the eighth boating-related fatality of the year in the state, according to TWRA. Safety on the water has been a repeated concern, with officials imploring boaters to always wear a life jacket and to be aware of their surroundings. Hartup’s death serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers associated with even the most serene aquatic environs. The tragedy is still under investigation, with more details to emerge pending the ongoing inquiry, as WJHL reported.
