Teen drowns in Catawba River

Rescue attempt fails in west Mecklenburg

An 18-year-old drowned Tuesday afternoon at a swimming hole on the Catawba River popular with teenagers who swing on a rope and drop 15 or 20 feet into the water.

It was Mecklenburg County's first drowning of the year, authorities said.

Searchers recovered the body after about an hour. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police did not release his name Tuesday.

The police homicide unit is investigating the death, but Officer Mandy Giannini, department spokeswoman, said it appeared to be a "tragic accident" at the Mecklenburg County Greenway, a rugged riverfront area north of Interstate 85 crisscrossed with mountain bike paths.

Police released few details about what happened, because they are still investigating, but several teenagers who were at the swimming hole when the drowning occurred gave this account:

The teens said they didn't know the teenager who drowned but said he sat on the bank at first, and they didn't think he would jump. Then, he removed an Ace bandage that had been wrapped around his chest, climbed the tree and swung in, still wearing jeans, they said.

"He said, ` ... I'm going to jump, anyway,' " said Rebecca Brown, 19, of Vail.

She watched him hit the water and start flailing. Several teens said they jumped in and tried to rescue him.

"It was three or four people out there. He was fighting them, panicking, I guess," said Jessica Brown, 16, of Dallas, N.C. Rebecca's cousin.

Then the teen sank under the water, and Rebecca Brown said she called 911.

"Like a minute, it was over," she said. "It was so bad. It's scary to see it all happen."

The West Mecklenburg Volunteer Fire Department responded first, along with the Charlotte Fire Department and Cooks Volunteer Fire Department, to conduct the search. Authorities found the body about an hour after the calls at 2:30 p.m., fire Capt. Rob Brisley said.

Police said they were looking into whether the rope swing played a role in the death and whether the victim had any injuries before the drowning.

Giannini and Brisley offered tips for people looking to cool off from hot weather by taking a swim, including wearing a life preserver and using a buddy system. Neither were used Tuesday, Giannini said.

The spot where the drowning occurred is not a safe place to swim, because it's isolated, they said.

"If you're going to go swimming, go to the common areas," Brisley said.

Nevertheless, teenagers were back at the swimming hole 2 1/2 hours after the drowning. The spot is about a 15-minute walk on several different paths from the greenway parking lot.

The small shoreline clearing is littered with cigarette packs, beer cans, food wrappers and signs of a campfire. Also on the ground near the shore Tuesday afternoon was an Ace bandage.

Bryan Abee climbed boards nailed to a tall tree and grabbed the rope, which was knotted in several places and attached to what looked like a water-skiing handle.

Abee held onto the handle and jumped from the tree, his feet skimming the water before lifting 15 or 20 feet in the air. He let go and fell into the water.

Abee, 16, of Gastonia wasn't there when the drowning happened but said he heard about it. The news didn't make him more nervous about jumping; instead, it made him worry that authorities would remove the rope swing.

"It's pretty fun," he said. "I hope they don't shut it down."

Another teenager, Cory Smith, 19, of Charlotte said he wasn't concerned. "I take my own precautions," he said. "I can swim. I know my limits."

Josh Philpott, a former lifeguard who witnessed the drowning, walked back to the swimming hole late Tuesday afternoon but did not jump in. It had been his first trip there.

"I came here and thought we were going to have fun," said Philpott, 21, of Mount Holly. "People gotta know about this place. It's not a good place if you can't swim."