JOHNSON CITY — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is investigating a fatal boating collision on South Holston Lake on Saturday, Sept. 20.

At 9:45 p.m. a bass boat carrying two people struck a pillar of the Hwy. 421 bridge. The collision resulted in the death of the passenger and left the operator with serious injuries.

The operator was airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center, while the passenger, Ronald E. Taylor, 72, of Virginia, was dead at the scene. The medical examiner will be conducting an autopsy.

TWRA extends its gratitude to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, Sullivan County Rescue Squad, Bristol Life Saving Crew, and a local volunteer fire department for their assistance.

This incident marks the 20th boating-related fatality on Tennessee’s waterways in 2025. The investigation continues.

-TWRA