A devoted father and his 6-year-old son drowned while fishing in the Rappahannock River last month.
Danny Sumner and his son Donovan spent hours at the Rappahannock, where they bonded over their love for fishing.
“Donovan loved going fishing with his dad, so this wasn’t an uncommon thing for them to go fishing,” mother and wife Madeline Sumner said. “They went plenty of times.”
She said her husband of almost 10 years and their son spent most of March 22 together.
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“They were out on their bikes,” Sumner said. “That was something that Donovan and my husband were working on — riding their bike.”
The father and son decided to go fishing around the corner from their Fredericksburg house, as they often did.
“Before they went fishing my son Donovan came into the room and told me he loved me,” his mother said.
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When they didn’t come back, she tried calling them, but after hours went by without an answer, she went looking for her husband and son. When she couldn’t find them around the boating dock, she called 911.
Initial evidence revealed Donovan had just caught a fish and fell off the dock, Spotsylvania County investigators said. His father leaped in the water to save him.
But they both drowned, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said. A dive team recovered their bodies from the river.
“The reality is I didn’t just lose my husband and my baby, but we also are having to face a new life without them,” Sumner said.
Danny Sumner played basketball at St. Paul VI Catholic High School and William & Mary. He was a special education teacher and coach at Brooke Point High School in Stafford County.
“We are deeply saddened by the unexpected and tragic passing of Mr. Sumner and his son,” Stafford County Public Schools said in a statement. “Mr. Sumner was a dedicated educator and basketball coach who had a meaningful impact on students, both in the classroom and on the court.”
“Love on your loved ones, you know,” his wife said. “Tell them you love them and how much they mean to you.”
The community and loved ones are raising funds for Madeline Sumner and her 2-year-old son, DJ.
