Dateline: September 20, 2007

Amarillo man drowns at Greenbelt Lake

The body of an Amarillo man was recovered from Greenbelt Lake Tuesday aftenoon after he had been missing since Sunday evening.

Samuel Jones and his friend Roger Saldivar, both of Amarillo, were at Kincaid Park when they picked up the lid of a car caddy luggage carrier and used it for a boat, according to Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn. The 18 year olds got about 700 feet from shore when the lid, which was reportedly cracked and patched with duct tape, began taking on water.

Blackburn said Jones and Saldivar swam about 50 feet before Jones went under. Saldivar made it to shore at Greenbelt’s Park B and got someone to call for help at 6:49 p.m. Members of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department Dive Team were in the water by 7:15, the sheriff said.

Saldivar was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and was released on bond Monday.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials also began searching Sunday, and Lake Meredith divers joined the search Monday. Canines with Panhandle Search & Rescue also assisted the effort.

Clarendon divers resumed their search Tuesday in water as deep as 25 feet.

“It’s the same thing as last time. The moss is so bad there’s areas we can’t go with the divers,” Blackburn said.

The body was recovered shortly after 4 p.m., sources said.