CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (WOKI-TWRA) On Saturday, May 17, 2025, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officers responded to three serious incidents in Campbell County, including a fatal boating accident on Norris Lake and two off-highway vehicle (OHV) crashes on the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA).
At approximately 5:49 p.m., TWRA dispatch received a call from Campbell County 911 reporting a boating incident near a private dock on Norris Lake. A 75-year-old male fell from a boat, briefly submerging before being pulled from the water unresponsive. CPR was initiated by bystanders and continued by emergency personnel. The victim was transported to Campbell County Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. The next of kin was notified at the hospital. This marks the eighth fatal boating incident investigated by TWRA officers so far this year.
Shortly before the boating incident, at approximately 5:45 p.m., officers responded to an OHV crash in the Red Ash area of the NCWMA near Old Highway 63. A side-by-side OHV was being loaded onto a trailer when it fell off the edge and rolled down an embankment, trapping the operator beneath it. The victim was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
A second OHV crash occurred at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Tower Road near the Cross Mountain trailhead. A four-wheeler left the roadway and crashed into a rocky area, rendering the operator unconscious. TWRA officers located the injured individual, coordinated with EMS, and identified a suitable landing zone for a medical helicopter. The patient was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center and is expected to recover.
Members of the LaFollette Rescue Squad and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office assisted in both rescue operations.
