Search crew discovers bodies of missing teens suspected of drowning after jumping in Lake Hartwell
Search teams recovered the bodies of two friends Monday from Lake Hartwell.
Pickens County Coroner's Office confirmed Rayan Alnasser, 16, and Zakaria Chaar, 15, were found late Monday morning in 15 feet of water and about eight feet apart. Alnasser 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.
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When deputies arrived, a boater had already pulled one of the teens from the lake. Emergency teams searched the area on Sunday and Monday.
Alnasser 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".
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.
Police originally said the students likely jumped into the water as part of a dare but after further investigation determined there was no dare.
Barwick said the lack of visibility in the water made it challenging for the rescue teams to locate the victims.
This story has been updated to reflect police determining the drownings were not the result of a dare.