UPDATE: Body Of Missing Boater Recovered In Boone Lake

Billy Bernard

By: George Jackson | 11 Connects WJHL-tv
Published: June 14, 2009

UPDATE: 6/14, 11:20 p.m.:

Sullivan County jailers have now released the identity and the charges of the driver of the capsized boat. They tell us the driver of the boat was Billy Bernard. Authorities tell us that Bernard is charged with: Boating Under the Influence.
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Updated at 8:30 p.m. Saturday -- Divers located the body of a drowning victim Saturday, less than 24 hours after a boat with four people aboard capsized on Boone Lake.

Authorities found the body of Dylan Benton, 49, of Hiltons, Va., about 6:30 p.m., in waters near Rockingham Marina at the Sullivan-Washington county line, west of Tri-Cities Regional Airport.

Updated at 3:00 p.m. Saturday -- The fourth passenger, 49-year-old Dylan Benton of Hiltons Va. is presumed missing.

TWRA recovered the capsized boat and towed it to shore Saturday morning.

Officials made an alcohol-related arrest in connection with this incident. The suspect's name has not been released.

Sullivan Co., Tenn. -- The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency scoured the scene of a capsized boat on Boone Lake Friday night.

The search focused on an area of waterfront near Rockingham Road.

Washington County Dispatchers said they received the call at 7:47 p.m.

Emergency medical service crews from Washington County and Kingsport were alerted and waited to offer assistance as divers looked for a missing boater.

Lake officials said a roughly 15-foot watercraft capsized near a small island.

"It was a single-vessel boat accident {sic} near Rockingham Marina in Sullivan County," TWRA Officer Brad Daugherty said.

Three boaters were recovered alive Friday night. TWRA crews were looking for a fourth, lake officials said.

"As of right now, we are not releasing any more information," Daugherty said.

Just before midnight, those crews focused on the watercraft.

"We're in the process of attempting to recover a boat," said TWRA Officer David Crum.

11 Connects sent a crew to the scene.

We'll update this developing story as more information becomes available.