Tragedy as high school principal and his wife drown in freak boating accident

A Tennessee assemblage is successful mourning aft a beloved precocious schoolhouse main and his woman accidentally drowned to death.

Deputies with the Clay County Sheriff's Office responded to Dale Hollow Marina connected Sunday, wherever they recovered Jackson County High School Principal Dr. Frank Maxey 'Max' Petett, 59, and his wife, Tracy, 56, had died, WSMV reports. 

The couple's canine was inactive connected their houseboat, wherever deputies judge the mates was spending the weekend.

The Petetts were past located connected the different broadside of Dale Hollow Lake crossed from the marina, wherever an obituary says they 'enjoyed spending their escaped time' successful summation to 'spending their clip with their children and families.'

Deputies judge the mates drowned and said foul play is not suspected successful their death, but an authoritative origin of decease volition not beryllium determined until the Medical Examiner conducts autopsies.

Details astir the drowning mishap stay unclear, but authorities accidental they judge the couple's deaths occurred connected Saturday.

Following the tragic discovery, the Jackson County School District informed residents of Dr. Petett's passing.

'Dr. Petett was much than a leader, helium was a mentor, a person and a champion for our students and staff,' schoolhouse officials posted connected Facebook. 'His dedication, kindness and unwavering committedness to our schoolhouse volition ne'er beryllium forgotten.' 

'Our hearts are dense with grief arsenic we process this tremendous loss,' the schoolhouse territory wrote, noting that counselors volition beryllium made disposable to each students and the precocious schoolhouse volition connection spaces for reflection and remembrance.

'Let america thin connected 1 different arsenic we navigate the days ahead, honoring Dr. Petett by continuing the enactment helium truthful passionately led.'

Many students and unit members commented connected the post, sharing their memories of the beloved principal.

'He was 1 of the champion mentors/principals astatine CHS,' Ella Mahaney wrote. 'He cared for each and [every] 1 of his students. He volition beryllium greatly missed by everyone.'

Debbie Hammock Akers added that Petett 'loved our faculty, unit and students, and it showed with the kindness helium gave to america all.

'It wasn't uncommon to spot him talking and laughing with students during people changes,' she wrote, calling the main 'truly a large person.'

Emily Reeves besides recounted however Petett would 'smile astatine maine successful the mornings and question astatine maine earlier I would spell to my classes,' and Marsha Meadows Clariday said helium would 'sometimes assistance america cleanable tables astatine lunch.'

'We volition definite miss his grin and jokes and leadership,' she wrote. 

Petett had antecedently served arsenic main of Monroe County High School successful Tompkinsville, Kentucky, but resigned from the station for 'health and idiosyncratic reasons' earlier taking the occupation successful Jackson County successful 2019, according to the Herald-Citizen.

Both helium and his woman were calved successful Kentucky, and Tracy worked arsenic a registered caregiver astatine the Monroe County Medical Center.

They are survived by their 5 children and 3 grandchildren.