84-Year-Old Man’s Body Recovered After Drowning At Fort Gibson Lake

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers said they've recovered an 84-year-old Broken Arrow man after they said he drowned Sunday morning.  

OHP said the victim, Ernie Lemon Jr., told his family he was going to swim to a boat dock to get a paddle boat, but he never came back.

The drowning happened between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday in the Hickory Creek Cove area of Fort Gibson Lake.

Authorities said the lake was about 16 feet above normal and the walkway to the boat dock was underwater. After hours of searching, they recovered Lemon about 50 feet from the shore in 10 feet of water.

OHP said Lemon was not wearing any type of life jacket or other floating device.