Port Arthur man drowns while swimming; authorities say he struggled beyond the buoys

Published 12:28 am Friday, July 28, 2023

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A 22-year-old Port Arthur man has drowned while swimming in an Oklahoma lake, authorities said.

Giovanni Vargas was reportedly swimming at the beach area at Fort Lake Gibson at approximately 5:41 p.m. Tuesday.

Authorities believe he went beyond the buoys, where he started struggling.

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Vargas went under and did not resurface, according to information from a spokesperson with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

Troopers located the body using side scan sonar.

Cherokee Nation Marshal Dive Team personnel recovered the body at 7:55 p.m. in 5-and-a-half feet of water.

The drowning occurred at Taylors Ferry on Lake Fort Gibson in Wagoner County.

Wagoner County is located just southeast of Tulsa.