A 50-year-old Cleveland man, Richard White, died Sunday afternoon after falling from a raft while paddling recreationally on the Ocoee River in Polk County, Tennessee. The incident occurred just before 1:30 p.m. south of Ocoee Dam Number Two. Witnesses reported that White fell into the water; bystanders pulled him out and performed CPR until first responders arrived. He was wearing a helmet and a personal flotation device at the time. White was transported to Bradley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) responded to the scene along with Tennessee State Park Rangers. This marks the sixth boating-related fatality in Tennessee this year. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. For comparison, the first boating fatality of the year involved a Sweetwater man who died following a boating incident in February.