During the mid afternoon hours of Wednesday, January 16th 2013 Operator and five of his juvenile children were operating a canoe adjacent to the rain-flooded Conasauga Creek.  According to surviving juvenile occupants the canoe got swept into the swift currents of the creek channel.  It became entangled in a downed tree and overturned.  Each of the six passengers were ejected into the water.  Three juvenile occupants were able to hang on to tree branches or make it to shore.  Operator and two juveniles were swept away by the current.  Recovery efforts were in place for several days along Conasauga Creek.  One male juvenile was recovered 1-24-2013 a short distance from the location where the canoe capsized (N35.25678 / W-084.58840).  On 1-29-2013 a female juvenile was recovered from the creek as well (N35.25550 / W-084.587404).  Operator was recovered 1-31-2013 a short distance downstream from the accident location. All bodies were released to the Mennonite Community Leaders for burial.
BENTON