3-year-old died during boating trip on Tennessee lake. Now, there’s an arrest
A 3-year-old disappeared on a Tennessee lake — and now a woman is charged in the boy’s death.
Two children and two adults were on a camping trip when they reportedly went out on a boat in 2021. As the group was getting ready to anchor the boat, one of the kids was discovered missing, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
“The child, who was not wearing a lifejacket, was found unresponsive in five feet of water,” officials said May 9 in a news release. “CPR was administered and the child was transported to Sweetwater Hospital, where he later died.”
Now, the person accused of operating the boat has been indicted on a charge tied to the child’s death. Wildlife officials in their news release didn’t list attorney information for the woman — identified as 25-year-old Amanda L. English of Sweetwater, WBIR and other news outlets reported.
Officials said the child vanished on Tellico Lake, a reservoir roughly 30 miles southwest of Knoxville. The area offers fishing, boating and other water activities, according to the tellicolake.com website.
On Aug. 6, 2021, officials said English was on the water to transport people from a marina to a landing. After the 3-year-old went missing, the two adults on board started searching for him.
Bystanders joined the effort, and crews responded at about midnight, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
After an investigation, officials said a grand jury indicted English “on charges of criminally negligent homicide and child neglect” on April 6. She was arrested last month and taken to the Monroe County jail ahead of a May 16 court date.
Officials told McClatchy News the other adult on the boat isn’t facing charges.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 11:38 AM with the headline "3-year-old died during boating trip on Tennessee lake. Now, there’s an arrest."
