Boys, 10 and 11, drown trying to retrieve lost shoe in lake, Oklahoma officials say

Two boys are dead after rushing water swept them away at an Oklahoma lake, officials say.

The boys were part of a group of four fishing at the Lake Overholser Dam, in Oklahoma City, the afternoon of Monday, July 10, the Oklahoma City Fire Department said in a news release.

They were “celebrating a birthday,” firefighters told KWTV. At some point, two boys started swimming in the lake and one lost their shoe, then everyone jumped into the water to find it.

“With the water gates open, the water currents were extremely strong,” firefighters said in the release. While two were able to swim to a concrete ledge, strong currents dragged the other two under.

First responders found the body of one boy Monday night and the second before 1 a.m. Tuesday, according to the release.

They were 10 and 11 years old, firefighters told KFOR, adding that the boys who managed to swim to safety were older.

“These four boys were just down here trying to have a good time [and] unfortunately they were just treading on dangerous grounds,” fire department Capt. Scott Douglas told the news outlet. “With these heavy rainfalls, swift water can take you down stream [and] underwater in just a matter of seconds.”

This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Boys, 10 and 11, drown trying to retrieve lost shoe in lake, Oklahoma officials say."