Marion County authorities are awaiting an autopsy to make sure the death of a Whitwell, Tenn., man over the weekend was an accident as suspected.
Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett said the body of 35-year-old Chris Ables was found Sunday near Coppinger Cove Road west of the small town of Sequatchie, Tenn.
"He was reported missing Saturday night. His truck was found up in Coppinger Cove," Burnett said.
Burnett said the truck appeared to be stranded.
"It looks like his truck got stuck up there and he was walking out and, at some point, fell off a little narrow bridge probably eight to 10 feet high and fell into some rocks," the sheriff said.
There were no signs of foul play, Burnett said. Ables' brother was the person who discovered the body during the search on Sunday.
"We think it's going to be accidental. We're sending him for an autopsy to verify that," Burnett said.
Ables had sustained what appeared to be trauma to his head.
"I've been going through there my whole life. I didn't even know that culvert was there," Burnett said. "You could easily walk off of it."
No one know why Ables was in the area except that the area is popular with off-roaders and Ables might simply have been enjoying the outdoors, the sheriff said.
Coppinger Cove is a remote, deep hollow about five miles north of Jasper that extends west into the Cumberland Plateau.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.