An 81-year-old man was found dead near a pontoon boat on Watts Bar Lake Thursday, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

TWRA officers responded to a call reported through Rhea County 911 of an overdue boater, meaning he was expected to arrive at a location by a specific time and didn’t show up.

On the way, TWRA says officers got a second call that a citizen had located the boat afloat on Watts Bar Lake.

The TWRA says wildlife officers along with the Rhea County Sheriff’s Office and Rhea County EMS responded about three and a half miles north of the dam.

A pontoon boat was found afloat and a dead body, identified as 81-year-old Rhea County resident, Larry Ezell was found on the water, the TWRA says.

Ezell’s body was transported to the Knox County Forensics Center.

The incident remains under investigation.

This is the 27th boating-related fatality this year.