Father, 9-year-old son dead after jet ski crash
By Sharon Danquah and Daniel Smithson
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CHEATHAM CO, Tennessee (WSMV) — A father and his 9-year-old son are dead after they crashed their jet ski into a barge and were thrown into Cheatham Lake, according to authorities.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said just before 8 p.m. Saturday, 36-year-old Steven White was on a jet ski with his 9-year-old son when he hit a barge that was being pushed by a tow boat.
The boat’s operator activated an alarm, and deckhands worked to assist White and his son. TWRA said White was found unresponsive and without a pulse. He was later pronounced dead by first responders nearby.
Multiple agencies searched the area for the missing 9-year-old until 1 a.m. Sunday. A full-scale search resumed on Sunday at 8 a.m. and he was later found dead, according to the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said White was wearing a life vest at the time of the accident. It’s unknown if the 9-year-old had one on.
The boy’s mother waited and watched the search for her son while in tears.
“She’s down there waiting for her little boy,” Mary Felts, a Cheatham County resident, said during the search. “She won’t leave until they find him.”
Rescue crews said they were determined to work as hard as they could to bring the victims’ family closure.
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