October 29, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
A 69-year-old, Cannon County man drowned Saturday on the Caney Fork River in DeKalb County.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officers responded to a call of an overturned kayak just after 11:00 a.m. (CDT).
The man , Robert Lester and his wife, from Auburntown left the Buffalo Valley Boat Ramp by kayak. The man’s kayak struck a tree and flipped. Rescuers searched the area, and the body was found in eight feet of water by Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter, less than 100 yards from where the man overturned. DeKalb County Sheriff, DeKalb County Rescue, Smith County Rescue, The Army Corp of Engineers, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol assisted in rescue efforts.
The man was not wearing a lifejacket. His body was recovered and taken to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. This incident remains under investigation. Mrs. Lester, in a separate kayak at the time, was not injured.