A 42-year-old Attleboro, Massachusetts, man whose body was pulled from the Norton Reservoir hours after he jumped off the back of a boat Monday night is being remembered by his family as a hardworking and loving dad.
Roland Carty's wife told NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR that he was the kind of the guy who would give a stranger the clothes off his back. She further described the father of four as a strong swimmer, whose roots traced back to the Caribbean.
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The Bristol County District Attorney's Office identified Carty on Tuesday and said his drowning appeared to be accidental but they were still investigating.
According to Norton police, Carty went boating around 6:30 p.m. Monday with two other men, who called 911 about an hour later to report that Carty had jumped into the water and not reappeared. They told police they tossed a life preserver to Carty but that he did not grab it before dipping below the surface and they were unsuccessful in trying to save him.
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Deputy Chief Todd Jackson said Monday that preliminarily it appeared the other two men might have worked with Carty.
The boat belongs to one of the two men who called 911, Jackson said, adding that he didn't know if they were out fishing, or just boating Monday night.
Carty's wife told WJAR that she doesn't know the two men her husband was with, or what happened, but she and her family are praying for answers.
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Norton residents living near the reservoir told WJAR they were surprised to hear about Carty's death because the area is usually safe.
"I don't know how it happened, to be honest, but accidents happen and things happen, but I wish it had a better outcome," said Brenda Felice. "I'm always surprised, you know, it's unfortunate and it's very sad and I feel for the families, and I'll pray for them."
The incident occurred about 100 yards off shore, the deputy chief said, adding that it's not very deep but there are a lot of weeds in the water. First responders turned to sonar to find Carty's body.
Neighbors tell WJAR that this kind of situation is almost unheard of. Yet, even though the reservoir is safe, it can be dangerous for those who are unfamiliar with the waters.
"Especially from a boat, that's rare," said Derek Hoyt. "It's a heavy amount of weeds, so you can get caught easily. It's shallow so diving is not recommended, jumping off a boat is not recommended, and swimming is not recommended."
Dive teams and several other agencies spent hours searching in very dark conditions Monday night, and first responders eventually turned to sonar to find Carty's body. Jackson had previously said they would stay out as long as they could, or as long as they deemed necessary.
