Homeless player drowns
A 32-year-old homeless man who played a key role on an inspirational basketball team drowned Friday in the Spokane River.
William Wilcox, the 240-pound center of the Union Gospel Mission’s Hoopfest team, slipped under water as he attempted to cross the Spokane River during a mission outing at Corbin Park near Post Falls.
“We’re in shock,” said David Wall, Union Gospel’s operations manager. “He was one of the favorite guys here.”
Wilcox was one of four homeless men – plus coaches – who formed the mission’s first Hoopfest team and landed themselves citywide media coverage last month for their optimistic and determined outlook.
On Friday, Wilcox was part of a group of about 30 men from the mission on a picnic at the park. After playing softball, several men decided to go swimming in the river. Friends said Wilcox was not an experienced swimmer.
Bill Frew, who lives at the mission, said Wilcox was trying to walk across the river in a shallow area.
“I heard him yelling, ‘Help, help!’” Frew said. “I could see his arms go under.”
Frew said he and another man jumped in to help Wilcox but were turned back by the river’s deceptively strong current. Signs are posted near the water warning of risky conditions.
“That park has more swimming related drownings than our other parks,” Kootenai County Sheriff Rocky Watson said.
The Sheriff’s Department recovered Wilcox’s body about 2 p.m. Friday.
At the Christian-based shelter in east Spokane, staff met with the men to discuss the tragedy.
“There were a lot of tears,” said Pastor Doug Munday. “To a man, they all loved him.”
In six months at the mission, Wilcox transformed himself from a surly, solitary outsider into a man of deep faith and conviction, said David “Diesel” Jones, a close friend.
“To remember that punk we met (six months ago) and to watch him turn into a godly man … I just loved to watch him grow,” Jones said. “I know he’s in a better place, and I know he’s with God.”
During their Hoopfest run, mission staff praised Wilcox and his teammates for embracing the publicity and working to ease stereotypes of the homeless. The team did live shots and interviews with television crews, and spoke about their struggles and faith.
The team worked day labor jobs to raise money for the Hoopfest entrance fee, and their shoes and uniforms came from the mission’s well-stocked clothing room.
Wilcox, a former wrestler and football player, presented an imposing image with his buzz cut and signature goatee. But in interviews he was quick to smile, and he enthusiastically drew up plays for the basketball team. In the team’s sole victory, Wilcox made the winning shot.
After the June tournament, the team’s coach, Will Rhoads, wrote a letter of thanks to the city of Spokane.
“For those of you who may not know, we did win one game and that was one more than most thought we would,” Rhoads wrote.
Through it all, Rhoads said, Wilcox and the other homeless men had become more than teammates. They were brothers.