7 Year Old Boy Drowns at East Texas Lake

A summer outing in East Texas has turned tragic. A seven year old drowned while swimming at Lake Bob Sandlin in Titus County. But as KTAL`s Jason Clark explains, investigators think this tragedy could have been prevented with a little supervision. On Sunday afternoon, seven year old Dakota Charlton was swimming off the shores of Lake Bob Sandlin. Witnesses say the boy was on an inflatable raft when he fell into the water. "The two caretakers were not in close enough proximity to the child and not giving the necessary attention required for a seven year old," chief deputy Miguel Larsen said. Investigators say 18 year old Carrie Harbison and 25 year old Raymond Clendenen were swimming far from the child they were supposed to be baby sitting. Their own three month old was allegedly left inside a car alone on the beach. "Right now we are planning to forward a case file to our district attorney`s office for criminal negligent homicide charges," Larsen said. Carrie Thompson watched the whole ordeal unfold. She`s been camping here with her three boys since last week. "I can`t imagine being a parent and getting that news," Thompson said. Ken Tolly thought the area was a perfect place to camp, but now he`s having to explain the incident to his children. "This is bad. When something like that does happen it puts thoughts in your head and you worry constantly." Patrols in the area have been stepped up since Sunday, but authorities say that it is ultimately up to adults to prevent these types of tragedies from happening.