Following the drowning of his 12-year-old son in the Red River, a Clarksville father is warning other parents about water safety.
William Tamba drowned while swimming at Billy Dunlop Park a few weeks ago, leaving his family heartbroken and hoping to prevent future tragedies.
“It’s tough for me to still feel I’m dreaming and praying to wake up from this dream,” Enoch Tamba told me.
Tamba had taken his sons to Billy Dunlop Park for a fun day out, with no plans to enter the Red River. However, after seeing other children playing in the water, 12-year-old William Devon wanted to join in.
“He smiled as he said, Daddy, I can swim…” You cannot swim. He says, “Oh no, Daddy, I can swim.” “Trust me, I can swim,” Tamba stated.
William had only been in the United States since August, having spent the majority of his life in Liberia, West Africa with his mother.
“As soon as you see him, he’s always laughing and playing, he left a mark on this community for the eight months, because he came in August, not a year,” Tamba told me.
The boy’s dreams of playing football and joining the United States Army were tragically dashed on May 18, when he began struggling in the water.
“He started going up and down, and we all began with his drowning. “He’s drowning,” Tamba explained.
Tamba tried to save his son, but he couldn’t swim and began sinking. A bystander called 911, but no one went into the water to help William. All Tamba could do was hope that emergency responders would arrive on time.
“I had a hope that these people know that job they’re going to find him, because this hasn’t even been in 10 or 15 minutes,” Tamba admitted.
The search continued day and night with no sign of William. His body was found four days later.
Tamba claims he only learned about the risks of swimming in that area after the tragedy. He is now advocating for the city to post more prominent warnings about the risks of swimming in the Red River.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs, aiming to raise $50,000. They also need assistance bringing William’s mother from Liberia to the United States for her son’s service.
