Teen, pontoon boat operator die on Tennessee lake

Published 3:43 pm Monday, June 7, 2021

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KNOXVILLE (AP) — A teenager on a personal watercraft was killed in an accident on a Tennessee lake, and a pontoon boat operator died trying to save her, authorities said.
The teen’s watercraft hit a concrete railroad bridge support on Fort Loudoun Lake in Knoxville on Saturday, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said in a statement.
The pontoon boat operator found the teen floating face down in the water and jumped in to try to save her. The operator then suffered a medical emergency. Bystanders on another boat pulled both victims from the water and tried to administer first aid but neither survived, the statement said.
The agency on Sunday identified the teen as Emma Renee Fila, 18, and the pontoon boat operator as Terrance Andrew Dea, 70, news outlets reported.
The incident remains under investigation.

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