24-year-old kayaker killed by boat on Tennessee lake, officials say. ‘Beautiful soul’
A kayaker was killed when she was hit by a boat on a lake outside Nashville, officials said.
Jaidha Lindsay, 24, was kayaking by herself on Percy Priest Lake on April 29, according to a news release from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Around 9:30 a.m., officials were alerted to a boating accident on the lake.
When they arrived at the boat ramp, they found a boat driver and two passengers who said they had “collided” with a kayaker on the lake, according to the release.
The boaters identified the kayaker as a solo female, but she was missing. Officials spoke with the boaters to narrow their search for the kayaker.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency used a remote-operated vehicle to search the area, officials said. They were able to find Lindsay’s body in 54-feet-deep water.
Officials called in divers from the Nashville Office of Emergency Management who recovered her body a short time later.
Officials said Lindsay, who lived in Murfreesboro, was not wearing a life jacket at the time, and the incident remains under investigation.
They did not release whether charges would be filed against the boaters at this time.
Lindsay was described as a “wonderful daughter, sister, granddaughter, teacher and friend” by Samantha Jo Brewer who started a GoFundMe for her funeral expenses.
“She was a beautiful soul and despite her many hardships, she always kept a positive demeanor and hopeful view of life,” Brewer wrote. “Her life was cut too short.”
“Few days back I thought about high school moments and our track days with you and all our friends then see this today!!” a former classmate posted on Facebook. “You had so much life to live.”
Murfreesboro is about 35 miles southeast of Nashville.
This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 5:29 PM with the headline "24-year-old kayaker killed by boat on Tennessee lake, officials say. ‘Beautiful soul’."
