Former Columbus man, father drowns rescuing his children

BOWIE — Randall Carpenter, 33 of Bowie, formerly of Columbus, was found dead following a two-day search, Monday, March 16, after rescuing his two children from strong waves at Amon G. Carter Lake in Bowie.

Carpenter, his children and fiancée were visiting Selma Park and the lake during spring break on Sunday, March 15, when strong winds suddenly changed the water conditions, according to KAUZ News Channel 6 and KFDX-TV. Carpenter’s fiancée said the children were playing in the shallow area of the lake when waves began to pick up.

“We just turned our back for a couple of seconds,” Carpenter’s fiancée told KAUZ. “When the wind picked up, I didn’t know that was going to happen, and everything happened too fast.”