Fiancée heartbroken, future husband drowns in O.J. Watson Park

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – On Sunday afternoon, Austin Pederson went into the water at O.J. Watson Park to retrieve a ball his niece had kicked in. He did not come back alive.

Austin had just used his last paycheck to buy his marriage license, intending to marry on Father’s Day. His fiancée, Tommi Speer, said his passing leaves both their families devastated.

“I puked for about an hour straight; I just couldn’t handle it. I truly believe he was my soul mate,” said Speer.

Austin was playing with his niece when the ball went into the water. While retrieving it, his head slipped underneath the water. The Wichita Fire Department found him nearly an hour later.

Speer said the news he was gone had taken its toll on her, and their 4-year-old son Bryce.

“I bawled, I held onto my son really tight because that’s what I have of him now,” said Speer.

She said Austin loved the outdoors, not sure how this could’ve happened to someone always in nature.

“He was an amazing swimmer, he loved the water, he loved camping, outdoors, he had a bow, so it’s definitely something we can’t really wrap our head around,” said Speer.

Austin’s father, Bret Pedersen, and mother, Tany Pedersen, are distraught over the loss.

“He was inspiring. He was a great young man and touched my heart,” said Bret.

“I was destroyed, devastated, didn’t know why I had to bury my son,” said Tanya.

Speer continues to wear Austin’s matching ring around her neck, a sign of the love they shared.

“When I had my hard moments, I went to him, and now I can’t,” said Speer.

His family honored Austin on Thursday by wearing Royals Jerseys, his favorite team

His dad said they were planning on making it to his first Royals game next month. He hopes they can soon honor him at Kauffman Stadium.

The family has set up a GoFundMe for final expenses, you can find that here.

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