Two thrown from boat rescued

By Eddie West Staff Writer

Two men were rescued from the chilly water of the Cumberland River after being thrown from their boat during a fishing outing.

The two were reportedly in the vicinity of where the Caney Fork River empties into the Cumberland River just east of the Veterans Memorial Bridge when a boat came speeding past their vessel, resulting in the accident.

“The two men were in a 14 foot vessel moving upstream on the left bank of the Cumberland River, just past the confluence of the Caney Fork, when a larger vessel passed on their right side throwing a wake that overcame their vessel and both men went into the water. Nearby witnesses launching their boat heard them calling for help and went to their assistance,” according a statement released by the Tennessee Wildlife Rescue Agency (TWRA) which investigated the incident.

Both men, who were wearing life jackets, escaped with minor injuries, according to TWRA.

The incident began around 9 a.m., Friday,  when 911 dispatched the county’s rescue squad and ambulance service to the United States Corps of Engineers boatramp located on Upper Ferry Road in Carthage where it was reported a “boat had overturned and one of the individuals had made it to shore but a second was missing” and his whereabouts were unknown.

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