Published: September 10, 2009 09:23 am      

Family members cope after drowning

CEMENT – After three men drowned in Lake Burtschi last weekend, their mourning families and friends want people to know the story.

Just days after their deaths family members gathered to talk about the tragedy. They talked about the impact on their families and on the city of Cement. All three men were from the small town west of Chickasha.

"You can't plan ahead for this, and just know that you're gonna have to take this minute by minute...one step at a time," said Vance Self, a family friend.

According to police reports, the three men -- Bradley Randal Graham, Jimmy Neal and Danny Paul Smith -- left the shore in a 12-foot aluminum boat. Only minutes after heading out, family members began to hear cries for help coming from the water.



Too Dark to See

It was so dark Friday that they could not see any signs of the men, except for a flashlight floating in the water.

When they began to hear the screams, Smith's wife Geneia Dalton and others ran to the shoreline but could do nothing but peer into the darkness.

Dalton's son Dakota, 12, called 911 from a cell phone. Since Friday he has been having a rough time.

The trauma of hearing his father scream for help will haunt him for some time to come.

"My son can still hear them hollering," Dalton said.

Said Shelf: "It's a sound they won't forget."

The men drowned in about 20 feet of water. They were not great swimmers, nor did they have life jackets.

What exactly happened is unknown, but Melissa Neal speculates that her husband Jimmy attempted to swim to safety. His body was recovered some distance from the sunken boat. Graham's and Smith's bodies were found next to each other and next to the boat.

"I really believe Brad tried to save Danny, because they were so close," Dalton said.

Funeral arrangements have been set for this week.

Neal was laid to rest Wednesday.

Services for Smith will be today, and Graham will be buried in his hometown of Red Oak, Iowa, on Friday.