A lawsuit has been filed in the death of 20-year-old Charles “Harry” Carter, who drowned in Lake Osceola on Memorial Day, 2021.
According to a WFTV.com report, Carter’s parents are alleging negligence against his friend, Adrian Preston Brown, and his parents, Powell and Nancy Brown.
The lawsuit states that the Browns knew their son and his friends, who were under the legal drinking age, were using the Brown family’s boat on Lake Osceola, and had been drinking alcohol during a party at their Winter Park home. It also states that Carter “involuntarily” entered the water and “never made his way back to the surface.”
In the days after the incident, Carter’s parents, Michael and Tracey Carter, told the32789 that they were actively looking into the events leading up to his death. According to the Carters, media surrounding the case might have potentially affected the investigation, and the couple requested sensitivity to the details reported at that time.
“I would hope that later on we would be able to put out some of the other details,” said Tracey Carter during the week following the incident. “I want to share our story because things happened that night that shouldn’t have. I want to make sure no other mother ever goes through something like this.”
According to the WFTV report, the case has been referred to prosecutors for possible criminal charges. The lawyer for the Carter family did not respond to a request for comment.
