Just days after the Army Corps of Engineers announced temporary closure of the swimming beach at Canton Lake’s Sandy Cove, a Major County man drowned there.
According to a press release from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which investigates drowning incidents, Samuel Williams, 18, of Fairview died Sunday.
He was swimming and went to retrieve a ball tossed into the water. He was in about 10 feet of water estimated at 69 degrees and was not wearing a flotation device.
The Corps issued the closure impact statement only six days prior to Williams’ drowning, blaming it on staffing shortages and a hiring freeze expected to expire in July.
In addition to Sandy Cove, the Fairview Goup Camp is also temporarily closed.
Rep. Mike Dobrinski had issued a statement on the closure on May 8. He said it was his understanding that there is only one ranger currently at Canton Lake and that made safely monitoring the entire area impossible. An additional ranger is set to transfer to Canton after the end of the freeze, and two seasonal rangers will be added as well.
'I know Canton Lake is important to our area residents and for our local economy that benefits from the number of visitors we receive each summer,' Dobrinski said. 'I will stay on top of this issue to ensure this is resolved as quickly as possible.'
Anyone who has camping reservations at the closed facilities will be issued a full refund. Automatic cancellations will begin May 15 and continue at two-week increments until the staffing issue is resolved. The plan is to open the parks at the earliest date possible while minimizing public impact. The expectation is for full staffing next summer.