Powell woman dies after rescue from car at Cove Lake State Park

Powell woman dies after rescue from car at Cove Lake State Park

CARYVILLE (WATE) -- A Powell woman died early Wednesday morning after she was rescued from a submerged car at Cove Lake State Park.

Courtney Ford, 21, was pulled from the lake after her car ran off a road in the park.

Authorities first believed Ford was dead at the scene, but later determined her heart was still beating.

She was taken to UT Medical Center in Knoxville where she was pronounced dead around 5:30 a.m.

According to Campbell County dispatchers, the car went into the lake around 11:35 p.m.

Police said Ford was on her way to visit a friend in LaFollette when her car swiped a guard rail and flipped into the water.

Dispatchers were originally told several people were in the car, but they only found Ford. 

Authorities pulled Ford's body from the wreckage sometime after midnight. Crews are still scouring the water for other possible victims. 

The Caryville and Jacksboro Fire Departments and LaFollette Rescue Squad worked together to pull the car from the water. They were finally able to retrieve it around 1:00 a.m. 

Authorities are still investigating what caused the crash, but say it wasn't raining at the time of the accident. Witnesses report seeing the car careen off the roadway.