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Rockingham County man dead in apparent drowning at Smith Mountain Lake

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A drowning at Smith Mountain Lake claimed the life of a 75-year-old Rockingham County man on Thursday night.

Tom Stenson, of McGaheysville, was identified as the victim, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The drowning occurred Thursday night at approximately 7 p.m., according to the FCSO.

The communications center received a call about a missing person in the area Beech Drive of Union Hall.

Authorities searched for Stenson and found his body in the water.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The body has been transported to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Foul play is not suspected.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.