Two Near Drownings Reported On Oologah Lake

A spokesman for the Oologah - Talala Emergency Medical Services says an 18 year old and an 11 year old nearly drowned on July 4th on Oologah Lake. John Wylie said bystanders spotted the 18-year-old man bobbing in and out of the water near the Hawthorn Swimming area around 4:30 p.m.

Two men pulled him to shore. He was taken to a nearby hospital in fair condition.

The second incident took place at 6:45 p.m., Wylie said.

First responders took an 11-year-old boy to Saint Francis Children's Hospital for treatment. They say he was alert and breathing okay, but took some water into his lungs and was complaining of chest pain.

Both near-drowning victims were treated by Northwest firefighters and OTEMS before being transported. Neither were wearing a personal floatation device, according to authorities.

A cell phone outage further complicated emergency responses at the lake on one of its busiest days of the year, according to a news release. Crews used two-way radios to summon help.