Twin 7-year-old Boys Drown in Lake Thomas
By: Julie Musgrave
Updated: August 4, 2009
The Snyder community is mourning the loss 7-year-old twin boys after a weekend trip to Lake JB Thomas turns tragic.
The twins were with their father swimming at Lake Thomas Sunday afternoon, when, in just a matter of minutes, the boys were out of sight.
Captain Bill Jones, TX Parks and Wildlife: "In lakes, it's very easy to lose sight of a kid and it only takes seconds for them to disappear and you cant locate them."
On Sunday, seconds turned into tragedy on Lake Thomas near Snyder. 7-year-old twins Ryan and Justin Dillard were swimming about 200 yards from the public boat ramp. It was around 3 p.m. when their father realized they were no longer in his sight.
Captain Jones: "They had loud music, they were sitting on the back of their tailgate. The subject that was with the father said the music was loud enought that they wouldn't have been able to hear them screaming. They thought they might've gone to the restroom initially, started looking up there, realized that the boys weren't there and ended up calling EMS."
Their father called for help from Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens as well as Scurry County officials around 3:45. They, along with other family members, scoured the area.
Capt. Jones: "One of them had slipped off into a hole and two highway patrol that were there went in the water after him and that's where they found the first body."
That discovery came almost two hours after the twins were realized missing. One minute later, officials located the second body. Both about 25 feet from the shoreline, in six to eight feet of water.
Capt. Jones: "Both children weren't wearing life jackets and it was reported to us that neither of the boys was a very strong swimmer."
Captain Jones says a life jacket should be a requisite when out on the water.
"Anytime that you're on the water and if there's small children, I recommend whther they can swim or not swim, to be wearing a life jacket. It's just a dae thing, we could prevent a lot of drownings if that was the case."
Now, officials say there were no signs of alcohol consumption in the area. Right now no charges have been filed against any adult involved.
