Canton, OK — An 18-year-old Fairview man drowned Sunday evening at Sandy Cove Beach on Canton Lake, according to Blaine County authorities.
Samuel Memphis Williams was swimming around 5:35 p.m. when he went after a ball that had been thrown into deeper water. Witnesses say Williams shouted once for help before going underwater. He did not resurface.
Emergency responders located and recovered his body at approximately 6:05 p.m. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and transported to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office in Oklahoma City.
Conditions at the time included cloudy skies, 8 mph NNE winds, and an air temperature of 79°F. The water temperature was 69°F. Williams was not wearing a personal flotation device. The water depth in the area where he was recovered was estimated at 10 feet, with little to no wave activity.
The incident remains under investigation by local authorities.
