Dateline: July 31, 2008

20th person drowns at Lake Greenbelt

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Just eight days after Greenbelt Lake’s last drowning, another man lost is his life in nearly the same location Sunday afternoon.

The body of 20-year-old Orin Tye Brazell of Dumas was recovered north of Sandy Beach by the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department Dive Team at 2:54 p.m. after a nine-minute search of the area.

Brazell’s drowning marks the 20th since Greenbelt opened in 1968.

“Four of us suited up and took a compass heading, and we found him on the second pass,” diver Kelly Hill said.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Brazell was with a group from Amarillo that came to the lake to swim for the day. Blackburn said the 911 call came in at 2:20 p.m., and Brazell was found 150 feet from shore in 10 feet of water.

“We had good witnesses who gave good reference points,” the sheriff said. “I want to commend the dive team. They did an excellent job, and our community doesn’t know how lucky we are to have them.”

Hill said Brazell was found about 500 feet from where 21-year-old Chafen Wayne Wilson of Pampa drowned on Saturday, July 19.

Justice of the Peace Connie Havens pronounced Brazell dead at 3:13 p.m., and an autopsy was scheduled for Monday afternoon, Blackburn said.

This case is the fourth drowning in 12 months; and like all previous fatalities at Lake Greenbelt, the subject was not wearing a life preserver.

In addition to the dive team and the sheriff’s office, assisting in this case were the Associated Ambulance Authority, Greenbelt Lake Patrol, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.