The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is investigating Thursday’s drowning death of a 24-year-old fisherman in Marion County. According to reports, three men were bow fishing Thursday night on Nickajack Lake when their 15-foot Lowe fishing boat began taking on water. All three men tried to swim to a nearby island. Two of the men said as they were swimming the realized that Ronnie D. Gholston, of Whitwell, was no longer communicating with them. Once on shore they discovered they had no cell phone communication and it wasn’t until around 2am Friday that they heard someone at a nearby boat ramp and yelled for help. The passerby called 911. Authorities discovered Mr. Gholston’s body in 40 feet of water. His body has been taken to the Davidson County Forensics Center. There has been no immediate word if Mr. Gholston was wearing a life jacket. The investigation is ongoing.
May 21 – 21, 2022 is National Safe Boating Week and the TWRA says 86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket.