At around 7.45am on September 10, two fishermen reported a dead body in the Little Tennessee River, adjacent to the Macon County Greenway, in North Carolina, US.
The body was later determined to be female and was pulled from the water.
Now, the fisherman’s harrowing find and his subsequent calls for help have gone viral in a video posted on social media. Warning – Distressing footage:
The footage shows the man, Mark Wilkins, coasting the lake and saying his ‘buddy’ off camera that he suspects he’s seen a ‘human being’ in the water.
He then realizes what he’s seen and could be heard repeating: ‘Oh my god, a dead body’, before making the call to the police.
On the phone to the 911 operator, he explains the pair had headed off the boat ramp and were going down towards the water station discharge and the dam when he spotted a ‘hand’ sticking up, and what he described as a decomposing body.
When asked if he was still in the water, he replied: ‘Yeah, I’m sitting here looking at it’, though he wasn’t sure if it was a Halloween prop or a prank. However, Mark’s fishing ‘buddy’, John, also said he thought it looked ‘like a person’ and ‘a girl’.
Mark then said a prayer: “Dear lord, please rest that person’s soul.”
YouTube/Northeast Georgia Kayak Fishing)
The fisherman said their day had ‘started normal’ but became suspicious of something in the water after noticing a ‘weird oil slick’.
The man explained he later uploaded the footage to YouTube for ‘educational purposes’ and sent his prayers to the family of the deceased woman.
The Franklin Police Department said an investigation was launched in September and is still in the preliminary stages, Fox Carolina reported. Officials have said they don’t know the woman’s name, cause of death or any other details.
The force has been contacted for an update on the situation.
If you ever find yourself in a similar harrowing situation, Aftermath, a professional crime scene, trauma cleaning and biohazard removal company, said it’s important not to touch anything as not only do you risk interfering with a potential crime scene but dead bodies can harbor potentially infectious bacteria.
It warns to avoid touching skin or body fluid as the deceased body could contain bloodborne pathogens that can infect you and others. The site also advises calling law enforcement and medical professionals – and to be ‘cooperative’ with details such as how you found the scene.
