North Carolina

Flipped over boat in reservoir leads to discovery of a body, NC searchers say

The angler’s body was discovered Sunday after witnesses reported seeing a flipped-over boat adrift in Tuckertown Reservoir, North Carolina officials say.
The angler’s body was discovered Sunday after witnesses reported seeing a flipped-over boat adrift in Tuckertown Reservoir, North Carolina officials say. Facebook screegrab

An overturned fishing boat found adrift in North Carolina’s Tuckertown Reservoir led to the discovery of a body, according to first responders.

The discovery was made Sunday in the Richfield area of the sprawling waterway.

“At approximately 10:59 a.m., officers with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission requested emergency crews to respond to the Tuckertown Reservoir regarding an overturned boat and missing fisherman,” the Pooletown Volunteer Fire Department said in an April 19 Facebook post.

“Responding personnel located the vessel and later recovered the fisherman, who was found deceased.”

The incident is being investigation by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

The commission has not yet released the man’s name, but fishing guides in the region identified him as avid fisherman Justin Goodman.

“I can honestly say I have never met someone with the passion for fishing and family as he had,” Cats On The Rock Guide Service posted on Facebook.

Tuckertown Reservoir covers about 2,500-acres, and is about a 50-mile drive northeast from downtown Charlotte.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 5:42 AM.

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Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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