Body of Sale Creek woman found in Cummins Falls State Park

COOKEVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) – Authorities recovered a body on Thursday after the flash flooding at the Cummins Falls State Park.

But it wasn’t the victim they were looking for.

Instead, they say the victim was 45 year old Lisa Michelle Hillian of Sale Creek in Hamilton County.

On Wednesday afternoon, a sudden downpour at the Cookeville area waterfall and gorge raised the river by three feet in just three minutes.

Dozens of people had to be rescued, many by helicopter.

Overnight, they were looking for a 73 year old woman presumed swept away for the torrent.

On Thursday morning, a search team of park rangers and volunteers on kayaks found the body downstream of the falls.

But now they are not sure if Hillian was a victim of the flooding or some other incident.

Park officials have asked the TBI to investigate.

They told us this morning “An autopsy will be performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death. The investigation remains active and ongoing.”

***Video from person stranded on a rock during the flood:

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/19941946_916678471806736_2625308135593607168_n.mp4?_=1

Eduardo Calvillo
@dardo_dardo
My family and I ended up stuck on a rock after the stream flooded around 4 people started to drown but where saved. The helicopter you see attempted to save a guy floating down the stream but my step dad and some guy saved him instead and he lived