Two men were trapped in whirlpool below dam. Then came heroics, Tennessee cops say

Two men were ensnared in an angler’s worst nightmare when their boat was sucked into whirling water at the base of a dam, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency says.

It happened around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, and the two were dramatically saved when another man risked his life to pull them free, the agency reported in a Feb. 27 news release.

“Wildlife Officer Curt Henderson received the report of a vessel in distress on Little River at Rockford Dam in Blount County. Upon arrival, he observed a small aluminum jon boat with two men onboard that was trapped in the dam’s recirculating current,” the agency reported.

“The men were pushing the boat off the dam with a paddle and a broken fishing rod while being slammed against the dam as the jon boat filled with water.”

Henderson immediately called for backup, realizing the two men “were becoming more visibly tired as water continued filling their boat.”

Among the people who showed up to help was TWRA officer Mike Raleigh, who was on boat patrol at nearby Ft. Loudoun Lake, officials say.

He saw what was happening and decided not to wait for Blount County officials to craft a rescue plan.

“Without hesitation and disregard of any fear, Officer Raleigh operated his vessel into the recirculating currents and contacted the stranded anglers giving them direction to tie their boat to his patrol boat,” the agency reports.

“He then backed away from the low-head dam and pulled both men to safety.”

Max Copeland identified himself as one of the rescued fishermen in a Facebook comment, and he addressed Raleigh personally, noting he saved their lives.

“Sir I know I was in shock when you got us out of there, I can’t thank you enough,” Copeland wrote.

“I would like to at least buy (you) lunch or dinner. ... It was a very traumatic experience when you showed up. You were so calm. You’re like: ‘Hey guys just grab this short rope and I’m gonna pull you away.’ ... Mike I’m so thankful for you.”

Raleigh responded to the message by noting it was “our humble honor and pleasure to serve sir.”

The Rockford Dam is in eastern Tennessee, about a 180-mile drive southeast from Nashville.

This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 7:28 AM with the headline "Two men were trapped in whirlpool below dam. Then came heroics, Tennessee cops say."