Tellico Lake, TN (WOKI / WVLT) The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency says the search for a missing kayaker on Tellico Lake remains active, but operations have shifted to a more targeted approach after several days of intensive searching.
TWRA spokesperson Matthew Cameron said search efforts for 57-year-old Richard Kitts have been scaled back from a large, multiagency operation to focused shoreline and area searches conducted twice daily. Wildlife officers will continue visual shoreline sweeps in the remote search area.
The search began on August 12, when TWRA received a report of a possible missing person near the Tallassee Access Area along Highway 129 in Blount County.
Investigators determined Kitts left his home the previous evening at approximately 8 p.m. with plans to kayak on Tellico Lake. During the initial response, game wardens located his vehicle parked at the Tallassee Access Area.
Shortly afterward, a boater discovered Kitts’ kayak and paddle drifting about a mile downstream, just below Chilhowee Dam. Officials said the kayak still contained his personal belongings.
In the days that followed, TWRA coordinated an extensive search involving numerous local and state agencies, including the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, T-BART, Knox County Rescue Squad, and several volunteer organizations.
Search crews conducted shoreline searches, foot searches on nearby islands, aerial reconnaissance missions, and water-based searches using visual techniques and side-scan sonar technology. THP’s aviation unit and multiple drone teams assisted in covering the rugged and remote terrain, where radio and cell phone service can be limited.
On Saturday, volunteer organization CAM Search and Rescue joined the effort, using remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipment and towfish scanning technology to search deeper portions of the lake. Teams scanned waters extending upstream and roughly two miles downstream from the initial search area.
TWRA also noted that volunteers, including some who traveled from outside Tennessee, spent hours searching shallow shoreline areas in hopes of locating Kitts.
Despite the reduction in resources, officials emphasize that the search remains ongoing. No additional information about Kitts’ disappearance has been released.
