Tuesday, November 24th 2020, 6:37 pm
Oklahoma City firefighters spent much of the day combing Lake Hefner for a man who went missing early Tuesday morning.
He went into the water after missing a turn along the lakefront, officials said.
Crews continue to search for Durrell Anderson.
"I just don't know what to do," said Jennifer Anderson, Durrell's mother.
Officials said Durrell and his sister were driving along Lake Hefner when he misjudged a turn. Instead of following the gravel road, he went into the lake.
His sister swam to shore.
"According to her, they went, and it was dark, and they couldn't see, and they went into the water a little bit. Then he was like, ‘oh no, we have to push the car out.’ But water started coming into the car," said Jennifer.
The 16-year-old sister said she saw her brother escape the car before it fully was submerged.
"She went under, and he went under, and she said she saw him come back up. And they lost each other in the water," said Anderson.
The teen went to the hospital for treatment. The family said she has some scrapes and bruises but will be OK.
As for Durrell, firefighters were able to pull his car out of the lake. Crews called off the search Tuesday evening due to darkness.
But Durrell’s mother is not giving up hope.
"He is so loyal. If he is your friend, he is your friend to the end. He's funny, smart, handsome. A good kid," she said.
The fire department said they plan to resume their search at daybreak.
Tevis Hillis, a proud Oklahoma native, anchors the weekend morning news. She also covers breaking news, education, and topics relevant to people in their 20s for her weekday audience. In addition to her on-air role, Tevis is an adjunct professor for OU Nightly, mentoring over 160 students each semester.
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