RedactedNarrative: On June 27th 2021 I was patrolling the waters of Watts bar when I was dispatched to a boat that had called in to Rhea 911 stating that they had struck something  just above the Watts Bar Dam and were taking on water. 
  	Once on scene I made contact with the operator of the vessel. OPERATOR 1 stated that while he was traveling south on the river headed toward the dam he spotted air bubbling up in the river creating what he described as boil. According to OPERATOR 1 statement he veered to the starboard to avoid the area and struck an object in the water. OPERATOR 1 vessel was rendered inoperable and started taking on water. OPERATOR 1 paddled/ drifted over to the closest bank afraid his vessel might sink. 
  	The Vessel sustained damage to the stern drive unit which was broken and hanging from the transom. After I towed OPERATOR 1 and his party to safety at the nearest boat ramp I returned to the location of where OPERATOR 1 stated that he had struck an object but could not find the object. It is undetermined if what OPERATOR 1 struck was part of the oxygenation system that was creating the boil of air bubbles or another submerged object.
  