When a Marine went swimming in Lake Lewisville over the weekend, he failed to resurface.
28-year-old Cleveland Whiteside went missing on the lake the evening of June 28, said Maggie Berger, public information officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, to The Dallas Express. Responders found his body on June 29.
“Our thoughts are with Mr. Whiteside’s family and friends during this difficult time,” Berger said.
Whiteside was originally from Mississippi. According to NBC DFW, he joined the Marine Corps in 2016. For the last two years, he worked in North Texas as a Marine recruiter.
Whiteside was swimming near a “vessel” on Lake Lewisville when he “went underwater and did not resurface,” according to Berger.
The next day, Texas Game Wardens and the Lewisville Fire Department recovered his body, Berger said. Officials turned him over to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.
At the time of publication, the medical examiner had not yet determined an official “manner of death,” according to case records. His place of death was near E. Hill Park Road. The drowning took place “in the general vicinity of Pier 121,” according to Berger.
Five people across the Dallas-Fort Worth area drowned in four “water-related incidents” the week of June 22 to 28, as The Dallas Express previously reported. Recently, two boaters went missing for days on Lake Lewisville, and responders later found their bodies.
“Several factors can contribute to a perceived higher number of water-related fatalities on Lake Lewisville,” Berger said. She cited the lake’s proximity to the metroplex, which makes it one of Texas’ “more heavily visited lakes.”
“Its accessibility draws large crowds, especially during peak weekends and holidays, which can overwhelm designated swimming areas and stretch the response capacity of emergency personnel,” Berger said.
Since Lake Lewisville is near such a “large population base,” she also said media outlets more frequently cover drownings there than in rural areas.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be sending out additional information about water safety ahead of Independence Day, according to Berger, but she pointed to previous tips on how to stay safe.
The department directs swimmers to wear a life jacket, to avoid coastal saltwater with open wounds, and to stay “weather aware” and avoid overcrowding. Officials also instruct boaters to use an “engine cut-off” switch, take a boater safety course, and “never operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”