Search Underway for Man Missing in Percy Priest Lake

Emergency crews launched a large-scale recovery operation at Percy Priest Lake on Tuesday morning following an incident where a man went underwater and failed to resurface after attempting to swim back to a drifting pontoon boat, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).

Timeline of the Incident at Anderson Beach

According to the preliminary investigation detailed by the TWRA, emergency services were first dispatched around 4:40 p.m. Monday near the Anderson Beach Recreation Area. A man and a woman had been utilizing a single pool noodle for flotation while swimming off their pontoon vessel. While both individuals were in the water, the craft began to drift away from them.

The man attempted to swim back to the moving pontoon boat but submerged and did not resurface. The woman remained with the pool noodle and drifted for approximately one hour before occupants of a passing boat rescued her from the water.

Multi-Agency Search and Recovery Deployment

The initial search phase involved the TWRA, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, the Nashville Fire Department, and the Metro Nashville Police Department. Crews deployed side-scan sonar equipment across multiple sectors of Percy Priest Lake as night fell on Monday.

Because responders lacked a confirmed coordinate for where the man was last seen, search parameters were significantly widened before operations were temporarily suspended at approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday. According to WTVF reporting, specialized personnel returned at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday with augmented resources to execute a wide-area recovery sweep.

Ongoing Investigation and Safety Protocols

The incident remains actively under investigation by the TWRA and participating local authorities. Public safety officials have not released additional details regarding the mechanics of the drifting vessel or contributory environmental factors on the lake.