By Heidi Cenac A family’s trip to Rescue workers
recovered his body three hours later about 25 yards from the shore,
Department of Natural Resources Cpl. Benny Owens said. Mr. Bruce, who goes
by Scott, was wading with his sister and two nieces at Hattons
Ford boat ramp. He was swimming near an embankment when the inflated ball he
had pushed under his shirt came loose, Cpl. Owens said. "He just wasn’t
strong enough to pull himself out," Cpl. Owens said. His mother, Brenda
Bruce, watched the incident unfold. Mr. Bruce grabbed his sister’s hand then
sank under the water, Mrs. Bruce said through her tears. "He could swim,
but he had real bad knees and all and couldn’t get around real good,"
she said. "He was just laughing and showing the kids he could use the
ball as a float." The family arrived at
Alex Pearson, 20, saw
Mr. Bruce swimming from the dock of a boathouse across the lake on "We just came
when we heard the screaming," he said. The Department of
Natural Resources, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson City Fire
Department Technical Rescue Team, Anderson County Emergency Rescue Team, MedShore Rescue 1 and Anderson County Emergency Services
personnel responded to the scene. By 6 p.m. many of
Mrs. Bruce’s family members had arrived as well. "He’s
gone," Mrs. Bruce cried as she embraced her sister. Mr. Bruce lived with
his mother in Belton. His bad legs were the result of years of tree climbing,
Mrs. Bruce said. Family members at the
scene said they were especially worried for Mrs. Bruce, whose husband, George
Bruce, died in a drowning accident about three years ago. Later Tuesday
night, her sister Janine Henslee of Heidi Cenac can be reached at (800) 859-6397, Ext. 324, or by
e-mail at cenache@IndependentMail.com.. |
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