Man who drowned in fishing accident was kind and friendly, neighbors say

MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAKE, N.C. — Neighbors said a 45-year-old man who died Tuesday afternoon in a fishing accident was generous to others and will be greatly missed.

William Medina went fishing on Mountain Island Lake, fell in and drowned, officials said. He didn’t know how to swim.

Medina, who was a father, and an entrepreneur, was well-known along Rosehaven Drive in east Charlotte.

His neighbor, Michele Washington, was stunned that Medina suddenly died.

“He was friendly,” she said. “He was kind. He helped you when he needed to.”

Washington’s son used to play with Medina’s son.

“So, he’s going to be devasted,” she said.

He was known as “The Hot Dog” man in the neighborhood.

Medina’s neighbors said they looked forward to seeing him with the hot dog stand.

“Neighbors used to drive through here, come from the other side of town to come get his hot dogs and stuff and whatever else he had out there, but I know the hotdogs were pretty good,” Washington said.

Jmeralde Quijano was one of the many kids who got hot dogs from Medina and said everyone will miss him.

“I just want to tell him that everybody loved him,” Jmeralde said. “He was a nice guy and God loved him and his son, too. His son is my friend.”

Medina’s family was not ready to speak with Channel 9 after their loss.

VIDEO: First responders recover missing person from Mountain Island Lake

First responders recover missing person from Mountain Island Lake

©2024 Cox Media Group