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Empty boat going in circles on lake leads officers to body under water, TN officials say

An empty boat going in circles on a Tennessee lake led to the discovery of the body of a Georgia man under water, according to officials.

Some boaters reported seeing an unoccupied older-model ski boat going in circles near a boat ramp on Parksville Lake on the afternoon of Aug. 15, according to WATE.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency responded along with first responders from multiple fire departments and a dive team from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department and searched the area where the boat was seen, Local 3 News reported. Wildlife resources officers use a “remote-operated vehicle” to assist with the search.

The man’s body was found in about 36 feet of water at around 8:20 p.m., WATE reported. He was identified as Billy Calhoun, 57, of Dalton, Georgia.

TWRA officers told WBIR that he was not wearing a life jacket and had been boating alone.

A family member wrote on Facebook that Calhoun’s loved ones were heartbroken.

“Billy will be missed by the entire family,” wrote Jessica Calhoun.

Parksville Lake is a 1,930-acre lake in the Cherokee National Forest about 180 miles southeast of Nashville. The lake is a popular spot for boaters, according to the Forest Service.

Officials told WBIR that Calhoun’s death was the 24th boating fatality in the state so far in 2022. There were 22 boating fatalities reported in Tennessee in 2021, according to the TWRA.

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