Man Drowns At Meadow Creek Lake

A father drowned at Monterey’s Meadow Creek Lake Thursday afternoon trying to save his son.

The Putnam County Sheriffs Department identified the man as 41-year-old Derek Lee Wilson. Monterey Police Chief Bill Randolph said Wilson and his son were fishing.

“The father and son were in a kayak,” Randolph said. “The son had on a life jacket. The kayak capsized and the father did not have on a life jacket and couldn’t swim.”

Randolph said the boy told officers he was going into the first grade.

Crews arrived at the lake around 4:00pm Thursday. Putnam County Rescue Squad PIO Mike Herrick said his team immediately got in the water.

“Multiple units responding, including our dive team and boat, and proceeded to use the side scan sonar on the boat to help locate possible locations for the divers to go search again,” Herrick said. “At one of those sightings turned out to be where the victim was located.”

Herrick said the dive team took clues from those on the scene, including Monterey Police, when they arrived.

“We’ll first have people speak to the witnesses that were first there to find out where the point last seen was for the person and start a search based off of where they were last seen and in water, depending on currents,” Herrick said. “If there’s any currents, we have to take those into consideration.”