Update: On Monday morning police identified the victim as Samuel Bell, 19, of 1802 Fair Haven Drive, Kingsport.
KINGSPORT — Divers from the Kingsport Lifesaving Crew and Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office found the body of a suspected drowning victim Sunday night beneath the cliffs where the victim and other boys were diving into the lake at Warriors Path State Park Sunday afternoon.
A witness told the Times-News the young men were diving from the cliffs Sunday around 5:30 p.m. when the 19-year-old victim jumped from above the highest cliff, landed in the water on his side, and never came up.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Leslie Earhart told the Times-news that around 9 p.m. divers located the victim beneath the cliffs in Fort Patrick Henry Lake at a depth of about 30 to 40 feet.
The name of the victim wasn’t released Sunday.
Friends said the victim turned 19 Saturday. One friend described him as an “adrenaline junkie.”
The cliffs where the boys were jumping Sunday are marked clearly with signs prohibiting jumping or diving. Witnesses said the height of jumping areas ranges from 30-90 feet.
A friend of the victim, Andrew Sboukis said the victim climbed a tree above the highest cliff and jumped from a height of 90 to 100 feet into the Fort Patrick Henry Lake.
“He went to the cliff where we were jumping, went past the tallest cliff people normally jump off of, jumped out a tree and landed on his side,” Sboukis said. “He just never came up. I jumped in off of a nearby cliff. I heard that and I swam over there. He was gone.”
Boater Crystal Chandler of Kingsport witnessed the incident as she was passing by.
“He jumped off the tall cliff where the trees were and he never resurfaced,” Chandler said. “We picked the two boys out of the lake in our personal boat and brought them back to the (boat) ramp. They’re upset because they couldn’t find their buddy. He just turned 19 yesterday (Saturday).”
If this death is in fact a drowning, it would be the third drowning this past weekend in the area.
Two people drowned Saturday including one on Boone Lake, and one on the Nolichucky River who wasn’t discovered until Sunday morning.