Man, grandson drown in pond

Boy's brother made it back to shore

By John Krupa

Posted: July 29, 2009 at 5:36 a.m.

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LITTLE ROCK — After a hot afternoon of fishing, 51-year-old James Edward Ward and his grandsons Shane, 12, and Tyron, 6, felt like taking a dip.

So, with Tyron on his shoulders and Shane by his side, Ward waded into the murky waters of a popular swimming hole in northeast Lonoke County.

Only Shane made it back to dry land alive.

Ward, of Carlisle, and Tyron Cisco McClain, of Jacksonville, were pulled from the bottom of an old minnow pond and pronounced dead at 8:45 p.m. Monday night, said Lonoke County Coroner Sherry Stracener.

The pond sits off Walters Chapel Road a few miles north of Interstate 40 and east of Arkansas 13.

Authorities confirmed Tuesday that another man drowned in the same pond between 12 and 18 months ago. Neither the coroner or the sheriff's office could provide the victim's name.

For some reason, Ward started struggling to swim after carrying Tyron into a deep section of the pond, said Lonoke County sheriff 's office Chief Deputy Dean White.

Ward had one leg that was amputated below the knee, said brother Ronnie Ward, but he normally swam fine.

Ronnie Ward thinks his brother had a heart attack before slipping under the water.

Tyron, who wasn't a strong swimmer, tried to reach the shore on his own but couldn't make it, Ronnie Ward said.

Twelve-year-old Shane tried to help his brother, White said, but the struggling Tyron started to pull him under the water.

Shane had to swim to the bank and run for help.

About 15 minutes after the 911 call, two sheriff's deputies reached the pond and pulled two bodies out of the water.

The coroner pronounced both James Ward and Tyron dead at the scene.

Despite three drownings at the same pond within the past two years, Stracener said she doesn't think it is a safety hazard.

"You know how people are. Out in the country, we swim in anything. To people who swim, it would look fine to them," she said. "That's probably the way they were. They went out there with their grandfather and had this mishap."

Ward graduated from Carlisle High School in the 1970s after a successful football career, said Mayor Ray Glover.

He went on to spend four years in the U.S. Coast Guard before taking a job with Texas Instruments, Ronnie Ward said.

James Ward worked in Texas for 15 years before returning home to Carlisle after their father died.

Ward was known for his big smile and penchant for making people laugh.

As for Tyron, he loved playing baseball and spending time with his grandfather.

He, Shane and their two other brothers spent a lot of time with Ward during the summers.

"He was a very loving grandfather. He did everything with those boys," Ronnie Ward said. "This has been pretty rough."

Front Section, Pages 6 on 07/29/2009

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