Child under water 5 minutes before recovered by cousin

Reporter

tdunn@gcnewsgazette.com

A Grayson County youth tragically lost his life Friday evening in a swimming accident at Nolin Lake.

According to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife spokesman, Mike Marraccini, seven-year-old Dawson Clemons was swimming with his brother at Iberia Recreational Area at Nolin Lake when the accident occurred.

“The boys were chasing ducks or something and they went out too far, the bottom dropped off and he went under,” reported Marraccini.

Parents and witnesses reported he just disappeared and was gone for about five minutes before he was located by a cousin Ronald Nelson and pulled from the water, said Grayson County Deputy Corner Larry Holeman.

Despite the quick recovery and the CPR efforts of Sheriff Deputy Gary Troutman the boy could not be revived.

Grayson County Emergency Medical Services knew what they had out there and came prepared. They were very vigilant in their attempt to resuscitate the boy, added Holeman.

The deputy corner went on to add, “there were no ligature marks to indicate the boy was tangled in anything but that is still being studied by the state Medical office. It will be eight to 10 weeks when the final reported is complete.

“He just seemed to swim out to far and got exhausted,” said Holman. “It is a tragic thing of a father trying to take care of his children and it ended up like this,” added Holman.

Clemons was a first grader at Clarkson Elementary School and played soccer in the Grayson County Youth Soccer League.

The soccer league voted at their regular meeting on Monday night to plant a tree as a memorial for to Dawson. They also agreed to pay the soccer fees for the other two Clemons brothers.

“This is to be a true memorial for Dawson,” said league president Daniel Priddy. “We see it fit to plant the tree at the Clarkson Soccer Field as a memorial of Dawson until the end of time.”