Tennessee
Tennessee man dies after falling from raft into Ocoee River
TURTLETOWN, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee man died Sunday after he fell from a raft while paddling on the Ocoee River in Polk County, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
The TWRA said game wardens and Tennessee State Park Rangers responded to just south of Ocoee Dam No. 2 for reports of an unconscious man on the Ocoee River.
Witnesses told officials that 50-year-old Richard White, of Cleveland, fell from a raft while paddling on the river. Bystanders pulled him from the water and performed CPR until emergency services arrived.
The TWRA said White was taken to Bradley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
White was wearing protective equipment, including a helmet and a personal floatation device, the TWRA said.
The investigation is ongoing.
This incident marks the sixth boating-related fatality this year, the TWRA said. This is the first death this year in which the victim was wearing a life jacket.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.