Fatal Cheatham Lake boating accident death of Steven White – Obituary
Tragedy struck Cheatham Lake as a boating mishap claimed the life of 36-year-old Steven White and left an eight-year-old child missing.
The incident, involving a barge, unfolded around 7:45 p.m. on a somber Saturday evening near the Cheatham Dam. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) reported that White and his young son were aboard a personal watercraft when it collided with the barge being propelled by a tow boat.
Responding swiftly to the distress call, the barge operator dispatched a rescue vessel manned by deckhands.
Tragically, when they reached White, he was unresponsive, and vital signs were absent. They rushed him to the campground, where awaiting first responders declared him deceased.
As the night deepened, multiple agencies rallied for an extensive search for the missing child, tirelessly scouring the waters until 1 a.m. on Sunday when the operation temporarily ceased.
At the break of dawn, at 8 a.m., the search resumed, with hopes of locating the young boy still hanging in the balance.
The circumstances surrounding whether the child had been wearing a life jacket remain undisclosed, adding an additional layer of uncertainty to this heartbreaking incident.