The body of a Knoxville man who went missing on Douglas Lake Sunday afternoon has been recovered.
On Tuesday, just before noon, search and recovery teams located the body of David Simanca Molina, 22, in the Muddy Creek area of Douglas Lake, near Point 7, at a depth of approximately 81 feet.
Mr. Molina’s body was first identified by the Carter County Rescue Squad using a specialized sonar system known as a “tow fish,” which is capable of scanning large underwater areas.
Officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) confirmed the finding using an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Mr. Molina’s body was recovered at approximately 1 p.m. by the local dive organization Need-A-Diver.
According to witness accounts, Mr. Molina entered the water from a pontoon boat around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and did not resurface. He was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD).
This marks the 11th boating fatality in Tennessee this year. TWRA urges boaters to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD when boating or swimming in Tennessee waters.
TWRA extends its sincere appreciation to all the agencies involved in the search and recovery efforts, including rescue squads from Jefferson County, Carter County, Hawkins County, Sevier County, Church Hill, Greeneville, Newport, and Morristown.