SMYRNA, Tenn. — Crews recovered the body of a man from Percy Priest Lake near the Jefferson Springs Boat Ramp on Saturday.
Crews recovered the body of Jose Alatorre, 40, of Smyrna, just before 11 p.m. Saturday.
Rutherford County Fire Rescue located the victim using side scan sonar technology. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency confirmed the find with their remotely operated vehicle. Divers then recovered the body.
Alatorre and a 6-year-old child, believed to be his daughter, were reportedly on a jet ski when both fell off the watercraft into the lake. Neither was wearing a life jacket. Alatorre was able to tread water enough so that the child stayed above water. Kayakers on the bank were able to paddle out to her and bring her to safety. She was assessed by first responders and released into the care of her mother.
A nearby boater tried to find Alatorre, who had dipped beneath the surface of the water. Using his fish finder and jumping into the water in several attempts to find the man, the boater was unable to make contact.
Rutherford County Fire Rescue Captain Adam Rose said they had deployed two boats to scan the banks looking for the man. They also used a sonar system and a drone as divers from Wilson County Emergency Management Agency and Metro Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management helped in the search.
The TWRA is investigating the incident.
