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Woman dies on Cedar Creek Lake
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
TOOL–Volunteer firefighters from the Tool Volunteer Fire Department,
Inc. assisted with a boating accident near Don’s Port that claimed the
life of a woman and sent one man to the hospital by helicopter.
The unit was called out at 12:26 a.m. Sunday.
According to a source at the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office,
passenger Shana Lee Williams, 39, of Athens died of injuries when the
boat put on some speed in open water, hitting a water intake pipe
belonging to West Cedar Creek Municipal Utility District.
Tony Tudor, 35, who was piloting the vessel, was airlifted by helicopter
to a hospital in Tyler.
A volunteer with the fire department confirmed the death. Fire Chief
Rodney McClain and assistant chief Blake Farrar used their CPR training
to assist ETMC paramedics, while transporting Williams to Gun Barrel
City. Tool VFD member Danielle Lorenz acted as navigator for the
ambulance driver, whose GPS unit was inoperable at the time.
Six people were aboard the boat that day – Williams, four men, and a
young boy about 8, who didn’t appear to be related to Williams.
One of the men, reportedly, swam about 500 yards to shore to report the
accident.
Fire captain Matt Molnar and firefighters Nathan Molnar, Tony Bookman,
Amanda Trapp and Lee Todd also worked the scene with some of them
continuing to offer assistance with the retrieval of the vessel until 5
p.m. Sunday.
Personnel from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the game warden
were also on the scene.
Unofficial reports say the party may have had some mechanical problems
earlier in the day, getting a tow into Don’s Port. After repairs were
made, the boat reportedly returned to the water to run trot lines.
Following the incident, WCCMUD inspected the intake pipe and reported no
damage. The Monitor was told that the intake is lit at night and marked
by buoys.
Officials from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Rusk are
continuing their investigation of the incident.
Woman dies in rollover
Monitor Staff Reports
LOG CABIN–A Log Cabin woman died from injuries suffered in an
early-morning rollover accident on Farm-to-Market 3054 Saturday.
Deane Estelle Phillips, 41, died when she was ejected from her Geo
Tracker, a small sport-utility vehicle Log Cabin Police Chief Jeremy
Nash said.
The Tracker was westbound on FM 3054 when it apparently veered into the
oncoming lane and into the south-side ditch near the Ridgeway Road
intersection, Nash said.
The 9-1-1 call came in at 12:25 a.m.
Phillips’ vehicle traveled about 300 feet along the ditch before veering
back onto the pavement, but then she apparently lost control, Nash said.
The Tracker flipped over and rolled about three times, ejecting Phillips
from the vehicle.
She suffered massive head injuries, Nash reported.
Phillips was transported to the East Texas Medical Center in Athens,
where she was pronounced dead at 1:28 a.m. Henderson County Precinct 6
Justice of the Peace Milton Adams ordered an autopsy.
“It appears alcohol may have been a factor,” Nash said. “There were beer
cans found in the vehicle and scattered along the roadway.”
Eustace grad makes history at
state meet – Kemp competitor takes gold in memory of loved ones
Monitor Photos/Kerry Yancey
ABOVE: Recent Eustace High School graduate
Chelsea Truitt shows a silver medal she won in
the pole vault at the UIL state track meet Saturday.
Truitt’s effort was the first time a Eustace athlete
placed in the pole vault. BELOW: Incoming
Kemp High School senior Sharda Bettis shows the
gold medal she won in the 100 meter hurdles at state
meet in Austin Saturday, in memory of her dad and
boyfriend. For more on both athletes, see Sports.
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