Friends of Spring Hill man who died in lake accident setup online fundraiser

Spring Hill resident Stephen Anderson, 36, passed away on Saturday after sustaining fatal injuries during an outing at Center Hill Lake in Smithville, just east of Nashville.

According to DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray, Anderson had been celebrating his birthday at the lake with his wife and two other couples when the accident occurred.

"Anderson decided to climb a rock bluff to jump off into the lake," Ray wrote in a press release. "While attempting to climb the bluff, the rocks Anderson was holding onto gave way and Anderson fell and rolled down the bluff hitting several rocks along the way before hitting the water."

Ray said that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) used an aquatic robot device to locate Anderson, with the operation being a joint effort between the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department, the Smithville Rescue Squad, rangers from the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the TWRA.

The tragic accident has led friends of the Andersons to launch an online fundraiser to help his wife and two children with expenses, which as of Thursday, has raised more than $49,000.

"Our dear friend, Brittany Anderson, lost her husband and best friend, on Saturday, May 22," reads the online fundraiser.

"Kyle Anderson was a wonderful husband and partner to Brittany and an incredible father to their two beautiful children, Bennett and Sawyer. As Brittany walks through this difficult time, let's remind her of the love and support surrounding her."

To support the online fundraiser, click here.

This story was updated to include DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray's statement.