Two high school students are believed to have jumped off a South Carolina bridge into a lake before drowning because they were apparently challenged by friends in a group chat.
Ryan Al-Nasser, 16, and Zakaria Chaar, 15, were students at Daniel High School in Pickens County, South Carolina.
Local police say the pair were in group chats with friends who were daring them to jump from the Twelve Mile River Bridge into Lake Hartwell.
The lake was the site of the tragic accidental drowning death of an 18-year-old young man on July 4.
The boys, both sophomores, apparently accepted their friends’ challenge and jumped off the bridge on Saturday.
Ryan Al-Nasser (pictured left), 16, and Zakaria Chaar (pictured right), 15, were students at Daniel High School in Central. They are believed to have jumped from a South Carolina bridge into a lake before drowning because they were apparently challenged by friends in a group chat.
Police were informed around 10:30 pm Saturday by a person who called 911 and said he had lost his friends.
According to the police, apparently one of the children made the jump while another tried to rescue him before being swept away by the current of the water.
“Reports from an individual who was on shore appeared that the way he landed was awkward, which could have caused him danger,” said Deputy Chief Chuck James.
He added that one of the children “immediately went into danger.” A second call was made to 911 saying the children were missing.
Officials searched for two days before a local boater finally pulled the bodies from the water Monday morning at 11 a.m.
The bodies were found about eight feet apart in water 15 feet deep.
James blamed what is apparently a social media challenge and peer pressure for the children’s deaths.
“TikTok trends or, you know, habits where people try to encourage people to jump off bridges or anything like that… I mean, it’s inherently unsafe,” he said. carolina fox.
Al-Nasser (pictured) and Chaar were found dead on Monday morning, eight feet from each other.
Local police say the pair were in group chats with friends who were daring them to jump from the Twelve Mile River Bridge into Lake Hartwell.
According to the police, apparently one of the children made the jump while another tried to rescue him before being swept away by the current of the water.
The bodies were found about eight feet apart in water 15 feet deep.
The Pickens County School District, where Daniel Middle School is located, called it a “profound tragedy.”
‘We ask for privacy and respect for the families as they go through this unimaginable loss. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”
They added that there is counseling at the high school for anyone who may need it.