The men were thrown overboard when two boats collided in Lewis Smith Lake on Wednesday morning, the authorities said.
Three people were killed and multiple others were injured Wednesday morning when two fishing boats collided in a lake in northwest Alabama during a fishing competition, the authorities said.
At around 7 a.m., Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, Ala., John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, Ala., and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Miss., were on a center console boat in Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman County when it collided with a bass boat, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
The three men were thrown overboard and drowned, the law enforcement agency said. Their bodies were found in the Miller Flats area on the eastern side of the lake — a sprawling reservoir with long fingers and jagged inlets about an hour north of Birmingham.
The number of injuries and their severity was not known. The coroner for Cullman County did not immediately respond to an email seeking additional information about the causes of death.
The crash occurred at the beginning of the second day of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational, a competition promoted by the organization Major League Fishing. It also involved Flint Davis, a competing angler from Leesburg, Ga., the organization said. His condition was not known.
The final day of the tournament, which had been scheduled for Thursday, was canceled, Major League Fishing announced.
Competitors in the Tackle Warehouse Invitational try to catch the biggest bass. They are vying for a top prize of up to $115,000 as well as points to qualify for the championship invitational in September, Major League Fishing said.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
