Mother Life Jacket Drive In Memory Of Young Drowning Victim

Exactly four years after her son’s drowning death,  Tionetta Lewis stood in Gold Star park near the Coosa River, painfully remembering the day her son’s body was pulled from the water.

“You think your children are supposed to out live you, or at least that’s what you what you hope” said Lewis tearfully.

15-year old Shalom Nowden was swimming with friends in Corn Creek off of the Coosa River in Wetumpka when he was swept away by an undertow. Lewis says it was a 6 hour wait before divers located his body. She’s now hoping to keep someone else from experiencing her grief one life jacket at a time.

For the second year in a row, Lewis is collecting life jackets to donate to local law enforcement to distribute as they patrol the waters. Her goal is to keep even skilled swimmers from becoming drowning victims in unpredictable waters. “If you’re not protected or safe you probably won’t make it out and that was his case” she explained.

Last year, Lewis donated more than 100 life jackets to Marine Police and Alabama State Troopers. through the drive. Though she says donations haven’t been as abundant his time around, she now has a vision to designate a few spots near the water where life jackets can be kept and returned after they are used. “And just have a note that reads ‘take one as needed replace when you’re done’ just for the safety of not only children but anybody” she explained while pointing out a potential location for her hub of life jackets for loan along the Coosa River.

Lewis is asking for brand new life jackets to be sure that they work properly. “Walmart has them for 6.99 and up, they meet regulation, so they don’t have to be the most expensive and decorative life jackets they can just be a plain life jacket” she said.

Here are the life jacket donation drop-off sites:

Fortis College: 3470 Eastdale Cir, Montgomery, AL 36117

Market Shoppes: 211 Hill St, Wetumpka, AL 36092

You can also mail Tionette the life jackets to 509 Mansion Street, Wetumpka, Alabama 36092.

Other businesses that are willing to serve as drop off locations are encouraged to contact Tionette at 334-777-4211 and 334-425-3122.