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A 31-year-old angler drowned in the Watauga River on the morning of August 12 after his kayak capsized, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). The man, who was not wearing a personal flotation device, fell overboard in rough water about a half-mile below Wilbur Dam.

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. when the victim and another male kayaker, both fishing in separate kayaks, overturned in the turbulent water. While one man managed to reach the shore and call 911, the other remained missing.

Carter County Rescue and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office recovered the missing angler’s body around 10:10 a.m. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of his family.

This tragedy marks the 15th boating-related fatality in Tennessee this year.