A man drowned after a tragic end to what reportedly began as a 911 call for EMS. This occurred in the Highland Trails neighborhood in Southern Pines and began around 11 a.m. Saturday.
“The Southern Pines Police Department responded to the 100 block of Canterbury Rd. for a report of an emotionally distressed individual,” said Southern Pines Police Chief Nick Polidori in a statement. “While on-scene and assisting EMS to involuntarily commit the subject for treatment, he fled on foot.”
The police identified the man as Phillip Hause.
According to neighbors, the man was extremely agitated, and officers tried to calm him and de-escalate the situation. He fled and went into the lake near his house.
Despite officers’ attempts to get him to come back to shore, he continued to go further out, said neighbors. After repeated attempts to get him to come back, he went underwater.
Firefighters immediately went into the water and attempted to save the man, but they could not locate him. The Cypress Pointe Fire and Rescue water team was called in.
Cypress Pointe Fire and Rescue used sonar in their boat to locate the body. Their divers were standing by, and additional divers were en route from Fort Liberty.
According to neighbors, the lake is known for its steep drop from an area of 6 to 12 feet deep.
~Article, photos, and video by Sandhills Sentinel Publisher B.J. Goodridge.
