By Bonita Wilborn
GUNTERSVILLE – According to Marshall County Coroner Cody Nugent, the body of a Guntersville kayaker previously listed as missing was located at 8:20 AM on Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
According to reports, the kayaker was struck by a barge on the Tennessee River upstream of the Guntersville Dam on Monday, July 31, 2023. Another kayaker involved in the incident was able to make it out of the water after being struck. Guntersville Fire and Rescue received the report just after 9:30 PM, but first responders could not locate the kayaker.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency were called in to assist and lead the search, which continued on Tuesday when dive teams recovered a kayak, a life jacket, and a paddle from the area near the Guntersville Dam. The 24-hour search halted around 10:00 PM on Tuesday but resumed at about 7:00 AM on Wednesday.
There is still no word on exactly how this kayaker ended up in the water or how the barge was involved. But as more information becomes available, NJP will pass it along to you. At press time, the name of the kayakers had not been released.
The following agencies were on the scene to assist in the search and recovery efforts: Guntersville Rescue Squad, Guntersville Fire & Rescue, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency,
U.S. Coast Guard, and Marshall County Emergency Management Agency.
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