RedactedNarrative: On 5/20/2022 at approximately 0300 CDT, Tennessee Wildlife Officers received a call from Marion County 911 that the county rescue squad was on scene to rescue two stranded boaters on an island in the Bennett’s Lake area on Nickajack Lake close to the 433 River Mile Marker. 
  
  When the rescue squad met with the two stranded boaters, they had stated that they were in a jon boat, bow fishing when the vessel took on water and sunk. The two parties also stated that there was a third party that was with them but went under water and was currently missing. 
  
  Once Tennessee Wildlife Officers arrived on scene, officers immediately deployed sonar scanning equipment to search underwater for the vessel. Once the vessel was located Officers deployed a remote operated vessel and was able to locate the missing party. The missing party was recovered by divers and pronounced dead on scene by the Marion County Medical Examiner. 
  
  Officers interviewed the two surviving parties, and it was learned that the three men were bow fishing around the larger island in the Bennett’s Lake area and began to change spots to the island south of their location. The deceased party was standing on the front, homemade fishing platform when the operator began driving to the other island. 
  
  The operator estimated his speed at less than 10 miles per hour when suddenly the vessel began to take on water from the bow of the vessel and sunk, putting all parties into the water. There were numerous Personal Flotation Devises on board the vessel but none of the pfds were able to be put on during the incident. 
  
  The three parties began to swim to the island that they were trying to drive to, and one of the three men called out to the other two and one said that he was fine and the other did not reply. When the individual that called out did not hear a return from the other two, he looked back and noticed that he was no longer there. The remaining two gentlemen reached the bank at what they approximated was around 2200 Hrs. They did not have a cell phone and there was nobody nearby until around 0200 Hrs. when a party pulled into the Bennett’s Lake access area and began to hear cries for help. The party that pulled into the boat ramp then called 911 to get the stranded parties some help from emergency responders.
  