13-year-old who drowned in Lake Carolina was energetic, active in sports

The 13-year-old boy who drowned in Lake Carolina over the weekend was remembered at his middle school as an energetic student who was active in sports.

Jaylin Antonio Jones drowned Sunday in Lake Carolina, just six days after his 13th birthday, according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

The teen slipped into the lake near the spillway around 2 p.m., Watts said. His body was pulled from the water around 4:30 p.m.

Jones, who lived on Marsh Pointe Drive, was with a friend at the time he slipped into the lake, according to Lt. Curtis Wilson of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

The friend told deputies he and Jones were playing in the spillway at the 500 block of Marsh Pointe Drive, near the dam, according to an incident report. They were skipping rocks in the water when Jones slipped and fell in.

Jones tried to get out of the water, throwing his cellphone onto the shore in the process, the report states. After several attempts to get out, he went under and did not resurface.

The teen’s friend called 911 and flagged down first responders as they arrived, the report states. When the first deputy arrived, Jones had been underwater for about 40 minutes.

Richland School District 2 officials confirmed Jones was in seventh grade at Kelly Mill Middle School.

“We are saddened and our hearts are heavy,” Kelly Mill principal Mark Sims said in a release. “Jaylin was a kind and energetic student who enjoyed learning and playing football and basketball.

“Additional counselors are available to help students and employees through this difficult time,” he continued. “Our staff is keeping a close eye on our students to make sure students who may be struggling with this sad news receive assistance from counselors.”

Jones’ death came less than six months after 15-year-old Elias Pierre drowned in Lake Carolina.

Sheriff’s officials said Pierre jumped off the Lake Carolina bridge and never resurfaced. His body was found several hours later. At the time, Pierre’s death was the fifth local drowning in less than two weeks.

Three other people have drowned in Lake Carolina in just under nine years.

In February 2009, two teenage sisters – ages 14 and 16 – drowned in Lake Carolina after venturing into the spillway near their home in northeast Richland County.

A 43-year-old man drowned in the lake in December 2013 after his boat overturned in the water, according to The State newspaper archives.

This story was originally published November 27, 2017 at 4:28 PM with the headline "13-year-old who drowned in Lake Carolina was energetic, active in sports."