A Nacogdoches man is dead after drowning in a private lake.
According to the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, officials were alerted to a boating accident at a private lake on County Road 392, around 6:30 p.m.
The call came into dispatch after an 18-year-old motorist who was driving near the lake heard what appeared to be a women screaming for help. The caller said they saw a small boat in the lake that was unoccupied, prompting him to drive down to the lake.
The caller said he could then hear a women screaming about 200 yards away from the bank. The caller swam to the boat that was circling in the middle of the lake, due to the trolling motor that was still on, and climbed into the boat.
He then used the boat to get to the female who was found tied to a stump in the lake. The female was rescued and taken back to shore where authorities were then notified.
While investigating, officials learned Pernell Tutt and his mother, Cora Tutt, went fishing Saturday afternoon on Lake Scroggins. During the fishing trip, the flat bottom boat hit a stump in the lake and Cora Tutt fell out of the boat. Pernell Tutt jumped in the lake to rescue his mother and was able to swim his mother to a stump. Once at the stump, Pernell tied his mother’s hands to the stump to keep her from drowning. Pernell then attempted to swim back to the boat but was seen going under the water and did not resurface.
Texas Parks and Wildlife, along with local fire departments, started a search of the lake but were unable to locate Pernell Tutt.
The searched continued for most of the night, but was unsuccessful. The recovery effort was continued Sunday morning and Pernell Tutt was found in the lake around 10:00 a.m.
Justice of the Peace Dorothy Tigner Thompson was called to the scene and pronounced Pernell Tutt dead. An autopsy has been ordered.
Cora Tutt was taken to a local hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.
(Information from EastTexasMatters.com)
