photo by Bruce Garner
Robert Perry, 53, of Hamilton County, died on Tuesday at Lake Junior, a small impoundment near Chickamauga Dam. Mr. Perry and a friend had set out kayaking shortly after 5 p.m. The two left the shore, paddling in different directions, but when the friend looked back, he found Mr. Perry’s kayak turned and no sign of him. The friend searched the area and quickly called 911.
Chattanooga firefighters and police were the first to arrive on the scene. Officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and Tennessee Valley Authority arrived a short time later. Battalion Chief Rick Boatwright called for water rescue assistance, bringing in the Hamilton County Special Tactics and Rescue Service (STARS) and Hamilton County Sheriff's Department (HCSO). Perry’s body was recovered around 8 p.m. in six and a half feet of water near the location of the kayak. Mr. Perry, pronounced dead at the scene, was not wearing a personal floatation device. Family members were notified and Mr. Perry’s body was transported by Hamilton County EMS to the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office, where the cause of death will be confirmed.
TWRA reminds all Tennesseans of the importance of wearing personal floatation devices. For more information on boating safety in Tennessee visit http://www.tn.gov/twra/section/boating.