GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Two men drowned in Joe Pool Lake after they fell off a boat and did not resurface, officials said.
The Grand Prairie Public Safety Dive team responded to a reported drowning around 4:26 p.m. May 10 in Joe Pool Lake, Grand Prairie officials said in a press release.
Witnesses told officials they saw two men, who were not wearing life vests, fall off a boat, and they did not resurface, the release states.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says Texas Game Wardens from Dallas and Rockwall counties searched using side scan sonar and both men were recovered by local dive teams Sunday.
Rachael Cox and her son, Marcus Hayes, were on the lake at the time and captured video of the emergency response.
“It was awful,” Cox said.
“You gotta be careful in the water. I say it all the time,” added Hayes.
One of the victims has been identified as 33-year-old Guy Hamilton, according to Sierra Harvey, the mother of two of his children. Harvey described Hamilton as her best friend of more than 17 years, and an upstanding, positive, dedicated dad.
“He was my best friend,” Harvey said, breaking into tears. “His smile, and how positive he was all the time," she said, listing off all the things she misses about him already.
According to Harvey, Hamilton drowned while trying to rescue the other man, a distant cousin, who had fallen into the lake.
“He was just like everybody’s hero, you know,” she said.
Now, Harvey is left to raise their two sons without him.
“I don’t know... I just gotta be strong for them,” she said. “I've never been in this situation before, so I don’t know what to do.”
As we approach summer and more people flock to North Texas lakes, officials are urging safety.
"As the lake season begins, GPFD strongly encourages the public to wear a life vest or an appropriate personal flotation device while near or in the water," the release states.