Crews rescue 12 from boats after Old Hickory Lake dock roof collapses

At least two docks have collapsed on Old Hickory Lake due to the weight of the snow from a Middle Tennessee winter storm.

A-dock collapsed Wednesday night, trapping a dozen people inside their boats and prompting rescues by the Nashville Fire Department.

I-dock collapsed Thursday morning, but most boat owners on Blue Turtle Bay Marina had already moved their boats ahead of the collapse, Bryan Hill told The Tennessean. He captured the collapse on video with his drone while surveilling the damage from the A-dock collapse. 

"So many memories there," Hill said, "all just sank into the bottom of the lake."

He said he and other boat owners who stored them on I-dock had moved them Wednesday night, weary of the snow. Some A-dock boat owners even assisted I-dock with moving their boats, with no indication that their own boats would soon be damaged. 

But hours later, the roof caved in on A-dock boats. At least one person fell in the water, Hill said. The Nashville Fire Department reported that no one was injured in the collapse. 

Marina management had advised tenants not to be in their boats during winter weather. The weight of ice and snow packed on top of the roof caused it to collapse, fire department spokeswoman Kendra Loney said.

After the rescues, crews searched the dock, which was 100 yards long, to ensure no one else was present. They also searched two other docks that appeared unstable. No one was found. 

The collapse happened just before 10 p.m. and crews cleared out of the area around 11:15 p.m. Nobody was found in the water, Loney said, but several boats were found sinking or taking on water. The number of boats damaged is still under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard will be on the scene on Thursday to investigate, Loney said. 

The Hendersonville Fire Department assisted in the rescue.

"NFD and OEM wants to remind boaters that operating boats during inclement weather conditions can be extremely dangerous," the OEM said in a news release. "Like the roadways, the recommendation is that boaters stay out of the water until weather conditions improve. Accidents risk boaters' life and property, but also endanger the personnel that respond to these types of incidents."