More than two dozen first responders took part in a search Sunday night after a man who had been seen sitting on the edge of a bridge over the swollen waters of Camp Creek disappeared before emergency crews arrived.
A passerby reported seeing the man sitting on the Sentelle Road bridge near the John Bird Road intersection and called 911. The man was described as wearing only underwear and was sitting on the bridge railing with his legs hanging over the downstream side. When the caller returned just a few minutes later, the man was gone and was nowhere to be seen along the roadway.
First responders who were already in the area arrived within three to four minutes of the 911 call but found no sign of the man. Witnesses told responders they had driven back through the area after first seeing the man, but he was gone.
After an initial search of the bridge and surrounding roadway failed to locate the man, officials expanded the operation to Camp Creek, fearing he may have fallen or entered the fast-moving water.
Volunteers of the Camp Creek and Tusculum Volunteer Fire Departments, along with the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad, were dispatched shortly after 6:15 p.m. An incident command post was established at Zion Presbyterian Church, just a short distance from the bridge.
Tusculum Volunteer Fire Department Captain Nick Dunbar coordinated the search. Ground crews walked both banks of Camp Creek from the Sentelle Road bridge to its confluence with the Nolichucky River, covering approximately 1½ miles.
Additional spotters were positioned at the Rainbow Bridge on Camp Creek and at Jones Bridge on the Nolichucky River downstream, near where the creek empties into the river.
The Tusculum Volunteer Fire Department also launched an inflatable rescue raft at the bridge and navigated downstream to near the Rainbow Bridge at the Highway 107 Cutoff. Their progress was eventually stopped by fallen trees and other debris blocking the creek. Responders said Camp Creek was flowing rapidly because of weekend flooding.
Tusculum Fire Chief Marty Shelton said crews were able to maneuver around several downed trees and even carried the raft around some obstacles before deciding conditions had become too hazardous to continue after dark.
During the search, Greene County Emergency Management Agency Director Heather Sipe monitored weather conditions and advised responders of a slow-moving storm approaching from the Knoxville area. Greene County Sheriff Wesley Holt relayed the forecast to search crews, warning that additional heavy rainfall was expected later in the evening.
By approximately 9:30 p.m., search operations were already winding down, and officials suspended the active search. Searchers officially ended their efforts for the night around 10:30 p.m.
Authorities say the investigation into the man’s whereabouts will continue Monday.
