A 16-year-old boy drowned under a Florida bridge while on a fishing trip with friends, authorities said.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) said in a Facebook post that the victim was fishing with two other teens on Tuesday, July 2, when they tried to “cross the perimeter of a patch of mangroves.” But the water got too deep when he submerged and “failed to surface.”
“The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team recovered the juvenile’s body submerged under the bridge,” police added. An investigation is active, though there is no foul play suspected.
The victim was found under the Twin Bridges on Southeast Port St. Lucie Boulevard and has been identified as Ja’Quon Shane Hosein Madaris, according to CBS affiliate WPEC and NBC affiliate WPTV.
PSLPD Assistant Chief Leo Niemczyk told WPEC that one of Ja’Quon’s friends tried to rescue the 16-year-old, who couldn’t swim, but was unable to do so in time.
“It was just really sad to watch and he’s real traumatized right now,” Niemczyk added.
Madaris had recently graduated high school and was working on growing his fishing and biking YouTube channel, the Bradenton Herald reported.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was started by the 16-year-old’s sister to pay for his funeral expenses. As of publication, more than $3,000 has been raised.
“My brother, Ja’Quon (JQ) Shane Hosein Madaris, just 16 years old, tragically passed away while fishing—an activity that he loved and used as content for his YouTube channel,” she wrote. “He was full of life, dreams, and aspirations, all of which were cut short in a moment of unforeseen tragedy.”
