71-year-old man dies after being found at bottom of pool, Lincoln County deputies say

A 71-year-old Lincolnton man has died after being found at the bottom of a pool behind a home, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim was identified as Luther Hester, the department said in a news release.

It happened around 3 p.m. Thursday in the 200 block of Laurel Ridge Drive, just west of Lincolnton. The area is about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte.

“When deputies arrived on the scene, Lincoln County EMS was providing medical attention to a 71 year old man whose body was found at the bottom of the pool,” officials said.

“The wife of the victim told officers she last talked to her husband by phone around 1 p.m. ... She arrived home around 3 p.m. and could not locate her husband.”

She began a search of the home and property, and eventually found her husband in the pool, officials said.

Hester was taken to Atrium Health in Lincolnton, but could not be revived, officials said.

The incident is being investigated as an accidental drowning. Hester was on medication to maintain his sense of balance, officials said.

This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 6:01 AM with the headline "71-year-old man dies after being found at bottom of pool, Lincoln County deputies say."