CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A father in Clarksville is warning other parents about water safety after his 12-year-old son drowned in the Red River.
William Tamba drowned while swimming at Billy Dunlop Park a few weeks ago, leaving his family devastated and hoping to prevent similar tragedies.
"It's tough for me to still feel I'm dreaming and praying to wake up from this dream," said Enoch Tamba.
Tamba had taken his sons to Billy Dunlop Park for a fun outing, 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 them.
"He turned around and told me, Daddy, I can swim smiling… You can't swim. He's like, 'Oh no, Daddy, I can swim. Trust me, I can swim," Tamba said.
Tamba believed his son knew how to swim because that's what he told him.
William had only been in the United States since August, having lived most 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 said.
The boy had dreams of playing football and joining the United States Army, but those aspirations ended tragically on May 18 when he began struggling in the water.
"He started, you know, going up and down, and everybody, we all started with his drowning. He's drowning," Tamba said.
Tamba attempted to rescue his son but couldn't swim himself and began sinking. A bystander called 911, but no one entered the water to help William. All Tamba could do was hope emergency responders would arrive in 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 said.
The search continued from day into night with no sign of William. His body was recovered four days later.
Tamba says he learned about the dangers of swimming in that area only after the tragedy. He's now advocating for the city to install more prominent warnings about the potential dangers 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.
This story was reported and written by Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
