Anchor caught in lake shoots out of water and kills boater, Alabama officials say

An anchor killed an Alabama boater in an unusual accident on Lake Lay, 
authorities said.

The man was identified as 56-year-old Derek Egnor, the Alabama Law 
Enforcement Agency said, according to WBMA.

Egnor was out on a fishing boat in Talladega County on Feb. 21 when an 
unsecured anchor hanging over the side of the boat got snagged underwater, 
the outlet reported.

The anchor line spooled out and tightened, slowing the boat down quickly, 
officials told AL.com.

Then, the anchor broke free. It shot out of the water and slammed into 
Egnor, according to Alabama law enforcement. The man, who was near the 
boating ramp at the time of the accident, was taken to a hospital, where 
he died of his injuries, WIAT reported.

The day after his death, Egnor’s wife shared the news of her husband’s 
passing on Facebook.

She wrote their family’s lives “are forever changed along with all who 
know and love him. Keep our family in (your) thoughts and prayers as we 
try to get (through) this extremely difficult time.”

A similar accident involving an anchor occurred on the Lake of the Ozarks 
in 2020, The Kansas City Star reported.

An Illinois man was killed after tension in the anchor line eventually 
caused the anchor to fly out of the water, striking the boater.

Egnor was from Sylacauga in Talladega County, about 50 miles southeast of 
Birmingham.

https://www.miamiherald.com/