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Two Pigeon River drownings
The body of the second of two men who drowned Saturday in separate incidents on the Pigeon River in Cocke County was recovered Sunday afternoon. Just before 7 pm Saturday, authorities were notified of a drowning in the river off Pleasant Grove Road in the Edwina community. Deputy Sgt. Bob Schaff was told by Tomas Gomez that he was on the river bank with Ugler Garcia, who recently moved from Florida to work at the nearby Fish Farms. Gomez reported that the 18 year-old Garcia had been drinking before he took off his clothes and entered the water. The victim reportedly did not know how to swim and was swept away by the current of the river. Cocke County firemen, Emergency Management Agency and sheriff deputies assisted the Newport Rescue Squad in searching for the victim until 9:30 pm when the search was called off for the night. It resumed again Sunday morning, and the body was recovered at about 4 pm, in two feet of water, about one and a quarter miles downstream from where Garcia went into the water, according to Sheriff Fontes. Earlier at about 2 pm Saturday a kayaker drowned just downstream from the Waterville power house at about 2 pm. Richard Arceneaux, 42, Aiken, South Carolina was kayaking with a friend, Mark Morris who told Detective Bryan Murr, he saw Arceneaux out of his kayak, swimming toward him but the water was too swift for the victim to reach the bank. Morris said Arceneaux was a novice kayaker and had little experience with swift whitewater. Emergency Management Agency Director Kevin Benton said the victim was wearing a helmet and life jacket at the time of the incident, and was not with a private rafting company. "Raft guides for private rafting companies spotted the victim floating in the water and called 911. The river patrol officers and the raft guides were able to retrieve the individual from the water and they immediately began CPR," Director Benton said. The river patrol officers and a physician, also utilized a defibrillator donated last year by a rafting company, in an unsuccessful effort to revive the victim. Autopsies have been ordered on both victims.
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Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
US 411 Project News
Mill Creek Wildfire Update
More Bad News For Smokies' Fans
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Mill Creek Wildfire doubles in size
Goodbye Smokies?
Keep Cocke County Beautiful
Cocke Co. High School Remote Learning today!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The fireflies are coming!
Burnout Operations on MillCreek wildfire today
Gas prices drop
Tennessee keeps all US House seats
Monday, April 26, 2021
Boat accident victim ID'd
Traffic stop yields drug arrest
Cocke County Wildfires
Friday, April 23, 2021
Leaving WNPC
Mathis announces candidacy
Newport drug roundup
Cruise Against Cancer
Jobless numbers
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