10-year-old girl tubing on Tennessee River dies after being hit by boat, officials say
A 10-year-old tubing on the Tennessee River died after part of a boat hit her over the Fourth of July weekend, officials said.
The girl reportedly was “on a tube being pulled by a pontoon boat” when the boat’s motor struck both her and the tube. It happened in Decatur County, roughly 100 miles southwest of Nashville, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Three days after the July 2 collision, the girl’s death was still under investigation, the agency said in a news release.
While the case marked Tennessee’s only boating-related death over the holiday weekend, state officials said another tubing incident left two children seriously hurt.
On July 4, Knox County Rescue responded to Fort Loudon Lake, roughly 20 miles southwest of Knoxville. Two kids were being pulled on an inner tube when they reportedly collided with the side of an anchored boat, the rescue officials said on Twitter.
The children were found near the Cove at Concord Park recreation area and rushed to a hospital, officials said.
While on the water, people are urged to wear life jackets and to be cautious of the so-called “danger zone” at the back of the boat, as the propeller can leave swimmers injured.
“There have been 16 boating-related fatalities on Tennessee waters in 2022 as compared to 13 the same time last year,” the state’s Wildlife Resources Agency said in its release.
This story was originally published July 6, 2022 at 8:59 AM with the headline "10-year-old girl tubing on Tennessee River dies after being hit by boat, officials say."
