Chester Coleman
Lake Santeetlah – A 63-year-old employee working on the Corridor K project in Graham County drowned at Lake Santeetlah’s Cheoah Beach around 6:20 p.m. Saturday.
According to three different eyewitness accounts, Chester Coleman became distressed and started yelling for assistance while in the water. Despite the attempts of the witnesses, Coleman was unable to be rescued before going underwater.
It is unclear what caused Coleman to become distressed.
The first call regarding the incident to Graham County EMS was received at 6:31 p.m., with the unidentified caller stating that “someone is drowning.”
Three sheriff’s office employees – Sgts. Logan Howarth and Dylan Taylor, as well as deputy Jared Lovelace – quickly responded to the scene.
Sheriff Brad Hoxit told The Graham Star on Monday that the officers wasted no time cutting their belts off and diving in to try and locate the victim. They were joined on the search by Graham County Rescue Squad member Tevin Smoker.
Radio traffic indicated that Coleman was found in about 20 feet of water around 6:45 p.m. His body was taken to Townson-Smith Funeral Home for examination by county medical examiner Drew Silvers.
Chief deputy Cody George’s official report said that Coleman’s boss was on the scene. Mike Mitchell, 55 of Eufaula, Ala., confirmed that Coleman was an employee of Ozark, Ala.-based F&W Construction.
Coleman’s hometown was listed as Alberta, Ala.