Teen fishing with friends falls overboard, doesn’t resurface, Mississippi cops say
A 17-year-old who drowned in the Ross Barnett Reservoir over the weekend was on a fishing trip with friends, Mississippi police say.
Three teens were out on the water fishing early Sunday morning, WAPT reported, citing Reservoir police. At some point, the 17-year-old fell out of the boat and never resurfaced.
“One of his friends said they turned around and noticed he wasn’t in the boat any more,” Reservoir Police Chief Trevell Dixon told The Clarion Ledger. “I don’t know if it was a medical emergency or anything like that. When you’re out on the water, you never really know.”
The young man’s body was recovered a short time later and has since been identified as Nathaniel Griffith of Brandon, Dixon told McClatchy News. The teen’s death has been ruled a fresh water drowning, the police chief said.
Authorities said Griffith went overboard just north of Highway 43, WJTV reported. He wasn’t wearing a personal flotation device, according to the Clarion Ledger.
The 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir is nestled between Madison and Rankin counties in the central part of the state, about 25 miles northeast of Jackson. It’s considered a haven for lovers of outdoor activities including fishing, sailing, camping and bird watching, according to the city of Ridgeland’s website.
Officials said foul play isn’t suspected in Griffith’s death, The Clarion Ledger reported.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 1:55 PM.