Two people died in a flood related fatality in Cocke County and one person is missing in Greene County.
Family members posted that Boone McCrary and his girlfriend Ray Santana were in a boat on the Nolichuckey River yesterday near Bird’s Bridge when his boat was swept into the bridge. Santana was able to be rescued, but McCrary and his faithful dog were swept down river. Personnel at the Kinser Park campground said they say McCrary go by calling for help.
Family members were hopeful that he was able to get to the shore and hopefully grab onto something and had searched as best they could along the riverbanks, but no signs have yet been found. A flyover by Highlands Air Rescue also failed to located McCrary early on Saturday.
McCrary’s disappearance and fate as well as the inability to do a proper search has weighed heavily on first responders and officials. McCrary’s sister Laura Harville has shared more information on her Facebook page.
Water levels and the speed of the current have made it impossible for searchers to get on the river. As water levels begin to drop, search operations may be able to begin. However, due to the proximity to the dam, that could be a dangerous prospect, and river conditions will have to be optimal to allow a downstream search to be undertaken.
