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Three Dead in Tournament Boat Crash on Smith Lake
A devastating collision between two vessels on Lewis Smith Lake has claimed three lives, prompting the cancellation of a Major League Fishing tournament on Wednesday.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirmed that Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi were killed when their Center Console vessel was struck by a Nitro Bass Boat around 7 a.m. near the Miller Flats area.
Broom, who served as a council member for the town of Snead, was pronounced dead at the scene. Clark and Little were thrown into the water during the collision and drowned. Search teams later recovered both bodies.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of council member, Joey Broom. Please keep the Broom family & the Town of Snead in your prayers,” town officials posted on social media Wednesday evening.
Major League Fishing (MLF) confirmed that professional angler Flint Davis of Leesburg, Georgia was operating the bass boat involved in the crash. Davis had been competing in Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational tournament.
“Out of respect for those involved, and to ensure the accuracy of all information, no further details will be released at this time,” MLF said in a statement. “MLF is working closely with law enforcement and emergency officials. Additional updates will be provided as they are confirmed by the appropriate authorities.”
The organization announced that the remainder of the tournament has been canceled.
Just hours before the accident, Davis had shared his optimism on Instagram about the competition, writing: “Solid day 1. 13-12 has me in 15th place. Looking for another solid bag tomorrow to move up. I’m ready to get back out there!”
While some reports mentioned foggy conditions on the lake Wednesday morning, other tournament anglers contradicted those claims, stating there wasn’t significant fog at the time of the crash.
Allen Johnson with the Alabama Bass Counsel reflected on the tragedy: “You’re going out and you’re enjoying a day of fishing and all of a sudden your life’s taken, or tragedy strikes, and that sucks. We have so many people on the water, and this was a freak accident. It was one of those things that could happen to absolutely anybody fishing.”
The crash occurred in the area of Burr’s Island, outside of Miller Bottom. Emergency personnel responded immediately to the scene, including an emergency medical helicopter.
The investigation into the exact cause of the crash is ongoing.
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