SC high school athlete drowns after jumping into river with friends, GA coroner says
A South Carolina teenager died after jumping into a river with friends at a party over the weekend, a Georgia coroner said.
The Richmond County Coroner’s Office said Antonio Freeman drowned Saturday night, WJBF reported.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the 17-year-old Warrenville resident jumped into the Savannah River with a group of friends during a family party, per the Augusta Chronicle.
Once they were in the water, the coroner said Freeman “began to struggle and went under,” according to the Aiken Standard.
Adults at the party jumped into the river to save the teen but could not find Freeman, WRDW reported.
Shortly after 9 p.m. emergency responders were called, and members of the dive team located the teen’s body on the Georgia side of the river, according to the Augusta Chronicle. The coroner said Freeman was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m., the newspaper reported.
A neighbor said the Midland Valley High School football player was “a strong swimmer and was in great physical shape,” per WRDW. His teammates and coaches gathered at the Graniteville high school Sunday to discuss Freeman’s death and try to boost morale, according to the TV station.
An autopsy on Freeman was scheduled Monday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab, WJBF reported.
The coroner said Freeman’s death remains under investigation, per the Aiken Standard.
