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Latest Update:
Second body
recovered after police
pursuit in Loudon County
LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A second body has been recovered in the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office search for two missing teenagers who investigators believe may have jumped into the Tennessee River from the I-75 bridge near Lake Drive after a police pursuit in a stolen vehicle early Wednesday morning. Just before 3 p.m. Friday, the sheriff’s office confirmed that a body believed to belong to one of the two missing teens was recovered close to the bridge. “Sheriff Davis has made a notification to the family. This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are heavy as we share this difficult news. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of this young man during this incredibly painful time,” wrote LCSO on Facebook.
On Sunday afternoon,
LCSO announced that a
body believed to belong
to the second teenager
had been found. Davis
notified the family.
“As both families now face unimaginable loss, we ask the community to come together in support and compassion,” LCSO posted.
At 2 p.m.
Friday, Loudon
County Sheriff
Jimmy Davis
shared that the
Tennessee
Highway Patrol
pursuit that the
teens were
suspected of
being involved
in began in the
Chattanooga area
early Wednesday
morning. The
pursuit began
because the
vehicle was
believed to be
stolen. The
teens were later
spotted by
Sweetwater
Police on I-75,
and officers
continued the
pursuit from
Monroe County
into Loudon
County. Officers
lost sight of
the vehicle
around the
Loudon exit on
I-75, which is
right before the
Tennessee River
Bridge.
The officer pursuing the vehicle continued, and discovered the vehicle still rolling on the bridge, abandoned. The Loudon County Sheriff’s office was then notified around 4 a.m., and a search began using deputies, K-9s and drones to search for the teens for two hours. After that, Davis said, the sheriff’s office began receiving reports of vehicle burglaries in the Lake Drive area, which is near the Tennessee River bridge. Deputies were dispatched to the area, and one made contact with a teen who appeared to be distressed. The teen was taken to a hospital with a lacerated and punctured lung. The sheriff’s office said the teen is in stable condition. The Sheriff shared that statements made by the teen led investigators to believe he may have been involved in the pursuit, and the three may have jumped over a barrier on the bridge thinking that they were jumping onto the other side of the road. Because the river bridge is separate roadways, jumping over the barrier would mean the teens had an over 80-foot drop into the water. Since learning that information, the sheriff’s office worked with the Loudon County Rescue Squad to use a drone and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to use their helicopter, in addition to LCSO’s resources. The search has also included sonar and underwater ROVs through the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The search has continued, with some pauses overnight and because of weather, since 8 a.m. Wednesday. “Since our golden hour has passed, we don’t believe there’s any need for a rescue, that it’s more of a recovery operation now,” Davis said. So far, search teams have only located a backpack that they believe may have been associated with the teens. Davis said the backpack was located “quite a bit a ways downstream.” Davis said the oldest of the three teens is 18, which is why the identities have not been released, and they are from the Chattanooga area. He added that the sheriff’s office has been in communication with their families, who have been at the scene. As the search continued, Davis asked that people refrain from reaching calling the mayor’s office and sheriff’s office to inquire about joining the search efforts as every resource that can be designated toward the search is being used. So far, Davis explained the mayor’s office has received more than 150 calls from family members and friends wanting to join the search, but those calls take away effort and resources from the sheriff’s office and mayor’s office. The search crews included emergency responders from the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Loudon County Emergency Management Agency, Loudon County Fire/Rescue, and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, and other responding agencies. Those searching for the teens utilized patrol boats, underwater ROVs, and divers. On Thursday afternoon, LCSO said the search was now a recovery mission, saying they had found no signs leading them to believe the teens had made it out of the water.
Throughout the
day, search
crews utilized
boats from the
TWRA and Loudon
County EMA to
scan the river
around the I-75
bridge and
downstream from
the bridge. The
sheriff’s office
said the amount
of water being
released from
Ft. Loudon Dam
made it
difficult for
crews to stay on
course with
scans and use
underwater ROVs.
LCSO added that
the dam was
slowing its
release of
water, which
would assist
with the search
Friday morning.
Law enforcement, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and first responders from the Loudon Fire Department, Tellico Village Fire Department, Priority Ambulance Service, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol searched for the two teens. Anyone who has seen anything suspicious or has information is urged to contact the Loudon County Communication Center at 865-458-9081. Body recovered, recovery mission for other missing teen continues after police pursuit in Loudon County LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A body was recovered in the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office search for two missing teenagers who investigators believe may have jumped into the Tennessee River from the I-75 bridge near Lake Drive after a police pursuit in a stolen vehicle early Wednesday morning. Just before 3 p.m., the sheriff’s office confirmed that a body believed to belong to one of the two missing teens was recovered close to the bridge. “Sheriff Davis has made a notification to the family. This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are heavy as we share this difficult news. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of this young man during this incredibly painful time,” wrote LCSO on Facebook.
At 2 p.m.
Friday, Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis shared
that the Tennessee Highway Patrol pursuit that the
teens were suspected of being involved in began in
the Chattanooga area early Wednesday morning. The
pursuit began because the vehicle was believed to be
stolen. The teens were later spotted by Sweetwater
Police on I-75, and officers continued the pursuit
from Monroe County into Loudon County. Officers lost
sight of the vehicle around the Loudon exit on I-75,
which is right before the Tennessee River Bridge.
The officer pursuing the vehicle continued, and discovered the vehicle still rolling on the bridge, abandoned. The Loudon County Sheriff’s office was then notified around 4 a.m., and a search began using deputies, K-9s and drones to search for the teens for two hours. After that, Davis said, the sheriff’s office began receiving reports of a vehicle burglaries in the Lake Drive area, which is near the Tennessee River bridge. Deputies were dispatched to the area, and one made contact with a teen who appeared to be distressed. The teen was taken to a hospital with a lacerated and punctured lung. The sheriff’s office said the teen is in stable condition. The Sheriff shared that one of the statements made by the teen led investigators to believe he may have been involved in the pursuit, and the three may have jumped over a barrier on the bridge thinking that they were jumping onto the other side of the road. Because the river bridge is separate roadways, jumping over the barrier would mean the teens had an over 80-foot drop into the water. Since learning that information, the sheriff’s office worked with the Loudon County Rescue Squad to use a drone and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to use their helicopter, in addition to LCSO’s resources. The search has also included sonar and underwater ROVs through the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The search has continued, with some pauses overnight and because of weather, since 8 a.m. Wednesday. “Since our golden hour has passed, we don’t believe there’s any need for a rescue, that it’s more of a recovery operation now,” Davis said. So far, search teams have only located a backpack that they believe may have been associated with the teens. Davis said the backpack was located “quite a bit a ways downstream.” As the search continues, Davis asked that people refrain from reaching calling the mayor’s office and sheriff’s office to inquire about joining the search efforts as every resource that can be designated toward the search is being used. So far, Davis explained the mayor’s office has received more than 150 calls from family members and friends wanting to join the search, but those calls take away effort and resources from the sheriff’s office and mayor’s office.
Davis said
the search will continue through nightfall
Friday and begin again Saturday morning, from
sunrise to sunset.
The search crews include
emergency responders from the Loudon County
Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office, Loudon County Emergency Management
Agency, Loudon County Fire/Rescue, and Tennessee
Wildlife Resource Agency, and other responding
agencies. Those searching for the teens are
utilizing patrol boats, underwater ROVs, and
divers.
On Thursday afternoon, LCSO said the search was now a recovery mission, saying they had found no signs leading them to believe the teens had made it out of the water.
Throughout the day, search crews utilized
boats from the TWRA and Loudon County EMA to
scan the river around the I-75 bridge and
downstream from the bridge. The sheriff’s
office said the amount of water being
released from Ft. Loudon Dam made it
difficult for crews to stay on course with
scans and use underwater ROVs. LCSO added
that the dam is slowing its release of
water, which will assist with the search
Friday morning.
Law enforcement, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and first responders from the Loudon Fire Department, Tellico Village Fire Department, Priority Ambulance Service, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are searching for the two teens. Anyone who has seen anything suspicious or has information is urged to contact the Loudon County Communication Center at 865-458-9081. One of 2 missing teens in Loudon County found dead, sheriff says
Sheriff Jimmy Davis gave an update Friday
afternoon, the third day of the search,
confirming once again the rescue mission had
turned to a recovery mission. LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office has found the body of a 16-year-old, one of two missing teens it’s been looking for for three days, in the Tennessee River. Sheriff Davis told WVLT News that his crews had used an unmanned vehicle to find one body in the river, only around 75 yards from where the teens jumped into the river. The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, along with a smattering of other first responder agencies from all over East Tennessee, has been searching for two missing teens last known to have jumped from a bridge into the Tennessee River following a police.
Sheriff Jimmy Davis gave an update
Friday afternoon, the third day of the
search, confirming once again the rescue
mission had turned to a recovery
mission.
The first
thing Davis spoke on was the sheer mass
of phone calls offering help coming into
both the sheriff’s office and the
mayor’s office.
“They’ve called our mayor’s office over 150 times today, wanting to come search,” Davis said. “If the calls could hold up, they’re taking resources from our search efforts.” Beyond the ask to hold off on calling, Davis gave general updates in the search. “There’s not a piece of equipment available for this search that has not been on that dock or in the water,” Davis said. He added that the office had also sent a notice to nearby homeowners, asking them to check their boats, docks and sheds for signs of the teens. That being said, searching the water brought up challenges for the rescue teams. “The hardest part of finding them is not just the distance, but the depth‚” Davis said. The sheriff also said search teams had found a backpack Thursday downstream, but are not sure it’s connected to the teens.
The whole situation is
complicated. Three teens are
involved in the incident,
which began with a
multi-county car chase that
ended in Loudon County. The
three teens have been
accused of stealing a car
and breaking into other cars
in the area before two went
missing. |
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4/14/25