The Lake Nona High School community is engulfed in mourning after the drowning of a student who was kayaking on Lake Whippoorwill, representing the second student to die this year at the institution. Counselors were available yesterday to assist those grappling with the loss, as detailed in a message from the principal reported by WFTV.
The identity of the teenager remains unreleased as the Orlando police, leading the investigation into the tragic incident have called for witnesses to provide more insight into the circumstances of the drowning - with questions remaining about the possible contributing factors like the use of a life jacket, water conditions, and the duration the student was missing before the recovery of the body by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office dive team, this according to a report by FOX 35 Orlando.
The recent incident follows a prior tragedy at Lake Nona when another student, Anthony Sanchez, perished in a high-speed crash in February leaving the student community and the staff to deal with compounded grief in a short period, concerns about youth safety in everyday activities have been inevitably elevated, expressing the need for heightened awareness.
In the wake of the second loss, the school's atmosphere is heavy with sorrow and remembrance; Dylann Terron, a classmate, recalled the lost peer as a source of humor and energy in the classroom, and in an interview obtained by FOX 35 Orlando, Terron stated, "I think everyone is finding it very sad, I think it was an unexpected thing," additionally Terron provided a plea for caution around unfamiliar waters and requested prayers for the bereaved family, saying, "I can’t imagine how his mom and dad feel."
