The lifeless body of a young 18-year-old vacationer, who had been spending time with friends along Lake Hartwell in South Carolina, has been recovered from the water following a heartbreaking drowning incident, Your Content has learned.
Luiz Pontez and a group of approximately 10 friends had rented a lakefront accommodation through Airbnb on Sunny Shore Lane in Anderson for the weekend.
Late on Thursday evening, while celebrating the holiday season, the group noticed that Pontez was missing on Friday and immediately sought assistance, prompting an intense search effort.
In an effort to gather support, Pontez’s sister created a GoFundMe page, which has already garnered over $11,000 in donations.
She expressed her family’s devastation, stating, “My family and I are devastated by the sudden loss of my brother, Luiz Pontes. On Friday, June 30th, around noon, I received the most distressing news of my life when my brother had not been seen since 4 am.”
Driven by concern, family members and close friends traveled from Charlotte, NC to Anderson, SC, hoping to find Pontez alive and gather answers.
The search continued for hours until Saturday, July 1st, after 4 pm, when Pontez’s body was finally recovered from Lake Hartwell. The donated funds will contribute to covering his funeral expenses and transporting his body back to North Carolina.
Authorities, including detectives and divers, meticulously combed the area starting from approximately 1:30 pm on Friday, utilizing aerial and aquatic drones in their efforts.
The agonizing wait finally came to an end on Saturday afternoon when Pontez’s body was discovered.
The tragic incident took place about five feet away from a boat dock in the vicinity.
According to the coroner’s office, Pontez was pronounced dead at the scene due to freshwater drowning.
At this time, officials have confirmed that there are no suspicions of foul play surrounding the incident.
It is worth noting that just last month, another unfortunate event occurred on Lake Hartwell during Father’s Day weekend.
Constantin Pascal, a 45-year-old individual from Lawrenceville, drowned while attempting to assist his stranded son during a family boat ride.
Pascal’s heroic efforts tragically resulted in his untimely demise, leaving behind two young sons and his elderly mother, who had accompanied them on the boating excursion.
As Pascal pulled his son on a tube, he noticed that the child’s life jacket had become unfastened.
In a split second, he placed the boat in neutral and leaped into the water from the vessel to aid his child, but sadly, he did not resurface.
Fortunately, a vigilant jet skier witnessed the distressing incident and successfully rescued the child from the water, according to DailyMail.