Missing Fisherman's Body Found in Hatchie River

TIPTON CO., Tenn. - The body of a man that was swept into the Hatchie River when a sand bar gave away was located by search crews Tuesday morning.

The body of 44-year old William Paul Dunaway of Atoka, Tennessee was found around 7:30am in the Hatchie River, which divides Tipton and Lauderdale Counties.

Dunaway had been missing since Sunday afternoon, when he and two other men that had been fishing that day stepped into the water to cool off after loading their boat at a ramp near the Rialto neighborhood at the Highway 51 bridge. The sand bar Dunaway was on eroded away underneath him, and sent him onto the river. The other two men told rescue workers that Dunaway could not swim.

The Tipton County and Lauderdale County Sheriff's Departments searched for Dunaway Sunday afternoon until nightfall, and resumed their search from sunrise to sunset until his body was discovered Tuesday morning. Rescue crews were also assisted by a K9 cadaver dog provided by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

'I want to commend the tireless efforts by the rescue personnel from Tipton and Lauderdale County Units. The weather conditions were challenging for the search teams and Sheriff’s Office personnel that were assisting at the scene," said Tipton County Sheriff J.T. ‘Pancho’ Chumley. "I am thankful Mr. Dunaway’s body was located to give a sense of closure to the Dunaway family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Dunaway family during this time of tragedy."
The victim's exact cause of death is pending an autopsy report from the Regional Forensic Center in Memphis.