A Georgia father and his son have tragically lost their lives during a fishing trip in Clayton County, according to a report.
On Sunday afternoon, the 55-year-old man, Calvin Harris Sr., and his son, Calvin Harris Jr., 32, took their first and only fishing trip in a boat. As the boat started shaking and then began to sink, both men ended up in the frigid water. They tried helplessly to save themselves, but drowned, said Tymeisha Harris, Calvin Sr.’s daughter.
“He loved to go fishing with his family. Calvin Harris Sr. enjoyed sitting on a dock and casting his line, waiting for a bite,” Tymeisha said.
“I still don’t understand,” the daughter said late Wednesday. “I just feel like it’s so unfair. They are two great men who loved their families.”
Calvin Sr.’s wife, Vicky Harris, had initially gotten on the boat, too, Tymeisha said. However, Vicky decided she wanted out when the boat started to shake.
When she was out of the boat, Vicky Harris watched helplessly as the boat shook again, tossing her husband into the water, Tymeisha said. Calvin Sir. was able to grab hold of the side of the boat. But then, the rear of the boat, where Calvin Jr. was seated, began to sink. The 32-year-old then jumped in the water.
With both her husband and her son in the water, Vicky Harris yelled for them to help each other to safety.
“Please don’t let our son die! Please save our baby!” she yelled to her husband.
Vicky Harris watched as her husband and her son struggled to save each other, arms flailing and unable to stay afloat, Tymeisha said. Then, both were gone.
“My husband let go of the boat and tried to save his son,” Vicky Harris posted on a GoFundMe page. “He pushes his son up and then he went under. And my son went shortly after. And they both never came back up.”
Vicky didn’t attempt to dive into the water because she can’t swim, so she called for help. A dive team soon arrived and pulled her son and then her husband from the water. Despite life-saving measures, neither man could be revived.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Calvin Sr. is survived by another son and several other relatives. Calvin Jr. was the father of 14 kids, ranging in age from 3 weeks to 13 years, his sister told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
