Atlanta teen dies while swimming at Tybee Island beach, emergency officials say
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A 16-year-old from Atlanta died on Friday after drowning in the water off a Tybee Island beach, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Around 11:45 a.m., game wardens were called to Back River Beach, where three people had been swept under the waves. Two of them were pulled to safety, but the third, Laquavis McCray, couldn’t be found.
Game wardens and marine patrol searched for McCray, locating his body around 3:30 p.m., according to the DNR.
Tybee Island Mayor Brian West said the incident happened very fast, according to WTOC, Atlanta News First’s sister station in Savannah.
“It drops pretty quickly right there, and they lost their footing, and the current started to take them away,” West said. “Tragic for all of us here at Tybee. We post signs and we try to warn people and to what we can that this is a dangerous area, and there were lots of prayers going out for these families this morning, so we feel very badly for them.”
Atlanta News First spoke to McCray’s mother Anita, who says she first received the call of her son’s death while working at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“When they told me, my heart dropped,” she said. “They told me my baby passed away, that he drowned and the current took him away.”
The single mother of three boys says her eldest son, Leander McCray Jr. — an incoming senior at Booker T. Washington High School — is still in shock with his brother’s passing.
“They’re supposed to graduate together,” McCray said. “Now he’s saying, ‘Mom it’s just me, walking across the stage without my brother.’”
She also added that this was her son’s first visit to the beach and that he had never swam before.
“If you’ve never swim before, just don’t go that far,” McCray said. “Stay where the water hits your feet and be mindful, don’t let anybody persuade you or pressure you.”
On an online fundraiser, McCray’s grandmother said he was at the beach with friends. She is asking for $10,000 to transport McCray’s body back to Atlanta and cover funeral costs.
“Laquavis was a fun-loving teenager who kept us laughing with his jokes and liked to impress people with his dance moves,” she wrote. “We want to give Laquavis the memorial he deserves and honor his memory.”
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
