The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia
Tuesday, 10 May 2022 13:59

Smokies rangers, swift-water teams retrieve body from Little River near Metcalf

TOWNSEND — Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a report of a body in Little River about a mile west of Metcalf Bottoms at 1:30 p.m. May 9. Rangers and Gatlinburg EMS/Fire discovered the body of Charles Queen, age 72 of Bybee, Tennessee, partially submerged in the middle of the river.

A technical swift water rescue team recovered the body, which was released to the Sevier County Medical Examiner’s office. A vehicle registered to Queen was found in a pullout 600 feet upriver along a steep embankment. 

No witnesses were immediately found; there are no signs of foul play, according to the park service, but officials plan an autopsy.

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