A Durant man drowned in Lake Texoma while fishing from a kayak, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
Forty-year-old Billy Cooper was fishing Saturday evening and he was found in the water near the shore Sunday morning about two miles east of Little City in Marshall County, according to OHP.
A personal floatation device was not in use, according to Trooper Kyle Ince’s report. A celebration of life service was scheduled for Cooper at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1 at Brown’s Funeral Home Chapel.
In other accidents, A Durant woman was killed July 26 when the car she was riding in overturned, according to OHP.
Twenty-four-year-old Phyllis Eggenberg was dead at the scene of the 8:31 p.m. crash on Highway 70 east of Pirtle Road about eight miles east of Durant.
OHP said she was a passenger in a Ford Explorer driven by 33-year-old Billy Hobbs of Bokchito. The Explorer was eastbound when it departed the roadway to the left, rolled down an embankment and landed on the driver’s side.
According to Trooper Joshua Harrington’s report, Eggenberg was not wearing a seat belt and Hobbs, who received minor injuries, was wearing his.
In another accident July 25, 64-year-old Paul Snyder of Mead was killed when he was struck by a Ford Fiesta as he was walking across Highway 70 at 9:24 p.m. east of the Highway 70 and Ranchette Road intersection in Mead, according to OHP.
OHP said 21-year-old Gavin Magnuson of Kingston was driving the Fiesta eastbound when it hit Snyder. The Fiesta then swerved into the westbound lanes and collided with a Chrysler Pacifica driven by 58-year-old Glen Kinyon of Mead. The Fiesta then departed the roadway and rolled onto its top.
Magnuson had minor injuries and he was taken by Bryan County EMS to AllianceHealth. Kinyon, as well as passengers in his vehicle were not injured.
In a social media post, OHP said the weekend was devastating in Oklahoma and encouraged everyone to make safe choices.
“Since Friday, we’ve investigated seven crashes that claimed nine lives,” OHP said. “We’ve also responded to three drownings. Twelve souls lost across our state—each one heartbreaking. These aren’t just numbers. These were people with families, friends and futures that ended far too soon. The pain left behind is deep and lasting.”