CORRECTION: John Pickle Identified as Drowning Victim

Divers recovered the body of John Pickle, 61, of Johnson City at 12:30 this afternoon. His brother, Raymond Pickle, 57, of Jonesborough, sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton.

By: TriCities Staff | TriCities.com
Published: September 18, 2009

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: Divers recovered the body of John Pickle, 61, of Johnson City at 12:30 this afternoon. His brother, Raymond Pickle, 57, of Jonesborough, sustained minor injuries was treated and released from Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton.

Sonar equipment and dive teams were used in the search until the body was recovered in water roughly 30 feet deep.

Three people were originally in the boat and Raymond Pickle was the only one to go overboard. Authorities are not releasing the name of the third person.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is still investigating what happened on Watauga Lake this morning. According to employees at the marina, three men went fishing yesterday morning but did not return until this morning because their boat ran out of gas.

Marina owner Tom White said the men switched to a smaller motor that requires less gas, called a trolling motor, to get back. The smaller motor sits on one of the pontoons. White isn't exactly sure what happened when the men pulled into the marina to dock but speculates Pickle may have fallen in the lake while operating that motor.

The TWRA is still investigating what exactly happened.

__________________________________________________________
Update at 11:41 a.m. by Josh Smith, 11 Connects:

11 Connects digital journalist Melissa Hipolit is at Fish Springs Marina. She says a dock employee told her three boaters were returning to the dock when their watercraft ran out of gas. While trying to use a back-up smaller motor, a boater fell into the lake. The employee said one person was pulled from the water and taken to the hospital. Crews are using sonar to search for another person who is still missing.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Authorities are searching for a person who fell out of a boat on Watauga Lake this morning in the Fish Springs area of Carter County.

The incident occurred near the main boat dock at Fish Springs.

Another person has been recovered from the lake, reporting cuts to the head but otherwise okay.

11 Connects Digital Journalist Melissa Hipolit is on the scene and will have more information as soon as it becomes available.