Seventeen-year-old drowned in Citronelle swimming area

CITRONELLE, Ala. (WALA) - Mother's day ended in tragedy for one family and group of loved ones in Citronelle; a 17-year-old drowned while swimming with friends Sunday afternoon.

The victim, Daren Ray Goleman, was a student at Mary G. Montgomery High School who was visiting from Wilmer.

Kenneth Woods was at home Sunday morning when he got a frightening call from his teenage daughter asking him to call 911.  She was with friends at Citronelle Lake on Municipal Park Drive.

"By the time I got out here, it was too late.  Me and my son jumped in. All we could feel was mud and we can't see nothing down there," Woods said.  "We just got here too late."

Woods couldn't save Goleman, who was his best friend's son.  The teenager from Wilmer, was visiting other teens, including Woods' children.

Witnesses said there were other teenagers nearby when the teen got into trouble in the water, but they didn't realize what was happening.

"My daughter said he hollered like, you know, some of them do playing... and they thought he was playing, and time they got out there, they couldn't find him," Woods said.

Emergency crews and divers from several agencies were on the scene within minutes. Fire Chief John Simison said when one fireman arrived with equipment and began a search for Goleman.

"We located the victim 10 minutes probably into that.  At that time, Thyssenkrupp arrived on the scene and assisted in getting him out of the water" Fire Chief John Simison said.

The teenager's body was found in the northwest corner of the roped off area.

"You know it's Mother's day,  and Lord have mercy," Woods said said.