Photo courtesy of Nancy Markham.
Oak Mountain State Park.
Homewood teenager Armani Flowers, 17, drowned at Oak Mountain State Park on June 20 after swimming past the yellow caution buoy by one of the beaches.
Shelby County Chief Deputy Coroner Lina Evans said Flowers was “a very weak swimmer,” according to police. He was with a group of teenagers when he went past the buoy.
“They had noticed after a couple of minutes that he didn’t come back up and called 911,” Evans said.
His body was recovered in water that was 20-feet deep around 6 p.m. that day.
The yellow buoy barrier, which blocks off a semi-circle of water, doesn’t impose a restriction on swimmers, said Oak Mountain State Park superintendent Kelly Ezell, but it is intended to indicate caution.
There are no lifeguards at the swim area, and it is posted to “swim at your own risk.” Ezell said following this incident, people might consider taking more precautions when swimming outside the buoys.
“People who are not strong swimmers might think about wearing a personal floatation device,” Ezell said.
If beachgoers see someone in danger, Ezell said they should call 911 and let people around know. She also said Oak Mountain State Park is always looking for ways to make the park safer, but there are no plans in the making at this point.
“Our sympathies to the family,” Ezell said. “It was a tragic accident, and we feel for the family.”
