By David Howell
North Miss. Herald

ENID LAKE – A Memorial Day outing turned tragic for a 56 year-old Memphis man who drowned during a beach outing with his family at Chickasaw Hills beach on Enid Lake Monday afternoon. Witnesses  reported Leon Henderson was on a float and had drifted outside the designated swimming area when he fell off and went under. Henderson was submerged for more than 30 minutes before his body was discovered in about six feet of water by a former lifeguard who had joined the search with others already at the beach.

“A lady walked up, she was asking if someone knew how to swim,” Lexie Gregory told the Herald. Gregory had just arrived at the beach with her mom and two young sons when word slowly spread at the beach that someone was missing.

“They said the family is missing one of their babies,” Gregory explained. The 911 call also initially reported a child had gone under as first responders were notified of the incident around 1 p.m. Gregory estimated at least five minutes had passed before several swimmers at the beach realized what had happened and started to search in the area where at least one witness last saw him. As the search continued, she realized they were looking for an adult and not a child.

“There were 30-something people at the beach, but only five knew how to swim,” Gregory said.  “That blew my mind,” the 27 year-old Oxford resident added.

Yalobusha deputies were on the scene within minutes, followed by Panola deputies, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks officers.

Also responding were Tonya Howard, Shane Harrison and Cheryle Harrison from Bynum Volunteer Fire Department, who joined the search in the water before Gregory located the body and brought it to shore.

Gregory said the body was in about six feet of water near where he was last spotted, and her head was above water when she felt his back with her foot.

“I went under water and picked him up like I have been trained to do a 1,000 times,” Gregory said. “But I found him too late.”

Attempts were made to resuscitate Henderson as soon as he was brought to shore and continued until an ambulance arrived several minutes later and his body was rushed up the bank. Minutes later he was pronounced dead by the Yalobusha County Coroner’s office.

The incident occurred within close proximity to the Yalobusha-Panola county line and was worked by the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from Panola. The body was transported by Panola County Coroner Gracie Gulledge to the state crime lab in Batesville. Gulledge responded as both Yalobusha coroner Ronnie Stark and deputy coroner Debbie Jackson were working on the responding Yalobusha County ambulance.

While several beach goers slowly returned to the water, Gregory had seen enough.

“I went home. I told my momma and my babies I am not staying here,” Gregory told the Herald. The drowning is the first at Enid Lake since 2004.