CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (TWRA / WOKI) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has released the identity of the victim involved in a fatal boating incident that occurred on Norris Lake near Springs Dock on the afternoon of Saturday, July 19.
Christopher Scott Mount, 58, of Coal Grove, Ohio, died after falling overboard and being struck by the vessel he was on. Campbell County 911 received a call shortly before 4 p.m. reporting that a male had entered the water and had not resurfaced.
TWRA wildlife officers responded to the scene and located the vessel involved. Preliminary investigation indicates that as the boat was preparing to leave a cove, Mount—who was not wearing a life jacket—moved to the rear of the vessel, climbed onto the swim platform, and entered the water, where he made contact with the propeller.
Following an extensive search, the victim’s body was located using a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), and divers with the Knox County Rescue Squad recovered him around 8 p.m.
Mount’s body was transported to the Knoxville Regional Forensic Center for autopsy. The incident remains under investigation.
This marks the 14th fatal boating incident in Tennessee this year. TWRA urges all boaters to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times, never allow anyone on the swim platform or in the water while the engine is running or the vessel is in motion, and to exercise caution whenever swimmers are near a boat.
