WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — A community mourned the loss of two brothers who authorities say drowned in Fort Gibson Lake on Friday night with a vigil Monday evening.
By 6 p.m., virtually all of Rocky Point’s lake campground lot was full.
Hundreds of family, close friends, classmates, first responders, and more were on hand to pay respects to brothers Damian and Kalub Mayton.
“Not all of them are here for Kalub and Damian," sister Mariah Mayton said. "A lot of them are here for support to us and I know there is quite a few people from the surrounding area that (have) stepped in and did their best to show that they're here to support. When searching for them it was the community that showed up first."
Both brothers starred for Fort Gibson High School football and wrestling teams, but their sister Mariah told 2 News they are remembered for so much more.
"They all never ever wanted to do things alone. (They) always had a good group of friends with them, at least one other person, so they've had pretty tight bars around here," Mayton said.
Campers told 2 News off-camera a storm brought dangerous winds and waves from the water Friday night while the Mayton brothers were still swimming. However, the two never came up from underneath the water until a Oklahoma Highway Patrol dive crew found them the next day.
“The important thing is the message I want to give everybody here, is water safety is paramount," Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott said. "But even, then accidents do happen."
2 News kept a distance throughout the vigil to allow privacy for the victims' family.
Many who attended said the reality hasn't set in yet, including Mariah Mayton, who considers herself the emotional rock for her family.
"It hasn't hit me. And that's where the rock part comes from," she said. "I don't really get hit 'till the very last."
Sheriff Elliott, who led the initial emergency response Friday night, said the amount of people in attendance was especially noteworthy given Fort Gibson's size and that the town is more than half-hour from the vigil's location.
"And I think that speaks volumes of their character, those two boys' character," the sheriff said. "They were good kids. They were very well liked by the school and their friends. This is tragic and certainly a huge loss for the town of Fort Gibson."
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for the funerals.
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