After man drowns at Tulsa's Zink Lake, firefighters encourage water safety precautions

Weekend Tragedy

One man is dead, and another is recovering after the Tulsa Fire Department responded to a call about the two in the water at Tulsa's Zink Lake.

“The report that we got just said we had 2 individuals in the water about a hundred feet from the pedestrian bridge,” said Andy Little with TFD.

Delighla Bondeson says she saw the 2 men while out meditating on the rocks near the river.

“He had his feet in the water, but he was looking at his friend, laughing just having a good time, so I didn’t think there was any problems,” she said. 

She says she then heard someone ask where the man went, looked up and saw he was missing.

What Happened at Zink Lake?

Firefighters found one man quickly. TFD says he tried to locate his friend before the crews arrived. TFD deployed 3 boats and a raft, along with a large number of firefighters in the search for the second man. They found him almost an hour later, but he did not survive. TFD says it’s unclear how the men ended up in the lake, but says the victim was not wearing a life jacket. The Tulsa Fire Department has not released the victim’s name or age.

“It's the summertime, it’s hot and people like to get in the water and the river can be a very dangerous place,” said Little. "People think, in drownings, you're gonna hear thrashing of the water and screams for help and that’s just not the case...many things can contribute they can have a cramp; they can swallow water... many things can happen,” he added. 

Firefighters' Water Safety Message

Firefighters remind everyone to be extra careful when near the water to prevent similar tragedies like this from happening.

"It's very important to wear safety devices such as life jackets, even if you are a good swimmer, if you’re in fast moving water, it's a good idea to take those precautions and wear those safety devices,” said Little.