A deer hunter from Cleveland, Tennessee, was injured early Saturday when a boat in which he was riding ran ashore on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge.
At about 6:30 a.m., 47-year-old Christopher Beckler was riding in a boat with his son, 21-year-old Dawson Beckler, and 52-year-old Glenn Swafford en route to the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area to hunt, according to a news release from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Christopher Beckler was near the front of the boat using a spotlight to assist his son navigate through fog in the dark when the boat went aground near the Freels Bend area. Beckler was thrown into the water and knocked unconscious. He was rescued by his son and friend.
He was transported to a local hospital with head and facial injuries, the release states.
The incident is under investigation by the TWRA.