| MONETA, VA — August 16, 2026 — At approximately 11:37 p.m. Saturday night, the Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Marine Fire Department was requested by Franklin County for a boating accident in the area of Marker R21 on Smith Mountain Lake.
Fireboats 11-5 and 11-9 responded to the scene and located a single-engine center-console vessel that had run up onto the shoreline.
Three occupants were aboard the vessel. All three were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Also responding to the incident were Scruggs Volunteer Fire Department, Red Valley EMS, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DGIF).
The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
The Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Marine Fire Department reminds boaters to use caution, remain alert, and operate at safe speeds, particularly during nighttime operations. |
