2 teens die in suspected drownings after accepting dare, jumping off bridge into lake

Taylor Ardrey and Terry Benjamin II, USA TODAY
Updated ·3 min read
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Two South Carolina teens were found dead in suspected drownings after they were challenged with a dare to jump into a lake over the weekend, authorities said.

Pickens County Coroner's Office confirmed Rayan Al-Nasser, 16, and Zakaria Chaar, 15, were found late Monday morning in 15 feet of water and about eight feet apart, per The Greenville News, part of USA TODAY Network. Al-Nasser was found at 10:20 a.m. and Chaar 10 minutes later.

According to Pickens County Sheriff’s Capt. Brett Barwick, a caller reported Saturday at 10:28 p.m. that three teens jumped into Lake Hartwell, and two could not be located.

When deputies arrived, a boater had already pulled one of the teens from the lake. Emergency teams searched the area on Sunday and Monday.

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Authorities believe the teens were dared to jump off a bridge into the water

Barwick said the teens likely jumped into the lake as a challenge after being dared. WHNS reported that they were discussing the challenge of jumping off the bridge and swimming back to shore in a group chat.

According to the official, "quite a few" other students may have also attempted the challenge but weren't injured.

Authorities said that after a group jumped into the water, one of them "immediately went into distress," according to Fox Carolina. Another teen tried to save him, but they didn't come back out of the water. Police were called to the scene, and the search began.

Signs on bridges at Lake Hartwell warn people not to jump off and into the water. Emergency management teams from Pickens, Anderson, Oconee, and Greenville counties, the Clemson University Emergency Management and Fire/EMS agencies assisted in the lake search near the Pike Road and Highway 133 area.

Barwick said the lack of visibility in the water made it challenging for the rescue teams to locate the victims.

High school offers condolences to their loved ones

Al-Nasser and Chaar were students at D.W. Daniel High School in Central.

"The School District of Pickens County (SDPC) is heartbroken to learn of the passing of two students from D.W. Daniel High School," a Pickens County School District spokesperson said in a news release.

"Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families, friends, and the entire D.W. Daniel High School community. The loss of these young lives is a profound tragedy, impacting not only their families but also their classmates, teachers, and the broader community. In times like this, our priority is to provide the necessary support and care to our students, staff, and families".

Al-Nasser played soccer at his high school

Al-Nasser's coach, Thomas Bonilla, posted a heartfelt message on Facebook, asking everyone to pray for his family during this difficult time.

"I feel blessed God allowed me to hug him and tell him how I proud I was of him one last time," Bonilla wrote. "I can’t imagine the world of pain his parents are going through right now but I wanted to make this post so those who were following the news are aware and 2. for those who pray to keep him in your prayers and his family. I would give up every trophy and even my life for him to be back with his family."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teens die in suspected drownings after jumping in South Carolina lake