A Saturday boating outing on the Barren Fork River ended in tragedy when a Manchester man died after falling from a boat near Rocket Park, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Officials identified the victim as 48-year-old Corey Blake Phillips of Manchester. TWRA said Phillips was paddling with two other men in the Mount Leo area when the group made a brief stop along the river. Shortly afterward, Phillips fell from the boat and became unresponsive.
The two men who were with him immediately called 911, prompting a response from Warren County EMS and the Warren County Rescue Squad. Emergency crews transported Phillips to Ascension Saint Thomas River Park Hospital in McMinnville, where he was later pronounced dead.
The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. on June 20, officials said.
Authorities have not released additional details about what caused Phillips to fall into the water, and the incident remains under investigation.
TWRA noted that Phillips’ death marks Tennessee’s 10th boating-related fatality of 2026, underscoring ongoing concerns about water safety during the busy summer recreation season.
Officials continue to remind boaters and paddlers to wear properly fitted life jackets and exercise caution while on Tennessee waterways.
