UPDATE: Search Continues For Woman Believed To Have Fallen In Lake

UPDATE: TriCities.com 12:23 June 25 Around 7pm last night, equipment from Knox Co. arrived with an underwater camera and floodlights and searched until around 12:15 a.m.  The search was called off at that point. According to TVA officials, they are trying to put together a deep-water dive team today and if they can, the search will continue.

The water in the area Bachman disappeared in is more than 200 feet deep, and although the lake was dragged in that area, the search has yet to turn up any information.

If they can’t put together a deep-water dive team, they will continue with the Knox Co. equipment, officials say.

__________________________________________________________

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Emergency rescue teams are still searching for a woman reported missing over a day ago.

Alice Bachman, 55, of Johnson City was believed to have fallen into South Holston Lake on Tuesday evening.

As of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Knox County, Tenn., dive team was searching the lake with a deep-water camera, said a Tennessee Valley Authority spokeswoman in Knoxville, who was contacted by phone. Rescuers dragged the water earlier in the day, but were hindered by the depth of the water, about 200 feet, in the search area, the spokeswoman said.

Tom Bachman of Johnson City called the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office about 7 p.m. Tuesday to report that his wife disappeared and might have fallen into the lake at the family’s boat slip at Lakeview Dock Marina, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Lt. B.J. Richardson said in a written news statement released Wednesday.

“Her purse, bags and shoes were on the boat along with the cover being half way on when she was discovered missing,” Richardson said in the statement, which was released at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Other than the one-page statement, police and emergency officials declined Wednesday to provide details about the incident or the search. But Tennessee Valley Authority Police Lt. Randy Proffitt, who arrived at the marina about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, said his officers would continue searching through the night if necessary. He referred additional questions to TVA’s Knoxville headquarters.

Bachman was last seen beside the boat in the family slip at the marina. Following a trip on the water with her son and her son’s friend, Bachman stayed to place a cover on the craft. Meanwhile, her son and her son’s friend went to get food, Richardson said in the written statement.

Owners of the Lakeview Dock Marina told sheriff’s deputies that Alice Bachman fell into the water once before, about a week ago, while trying to cover the boat, Richardson said in the statement.

The Kingsport Life Saving Crew was sent to the scene and attempted to drag the lake at the boat slips, but was unsuccessful, Richardson said.

So the crew contacted the Knoxville, Tenn.-based rescue squad to borrow a submergible camera that could reach a depth of up to 200 feet. And the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office called the Tennessee Valley Authority Police for assistance.

TVA spokesman Jim Allen said Wednesday that his agency, when told of a possible drowning, sent equipment and officers to Lakeview Dock Marina so they could help continue the search.

Staff writer Claire Galofaro contributed to this report.

| (276) 645-2518