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Family of 14-year-old boy who drowned in Lake Lewisville says they are heartbroken

According to the city of Highland Village, the boy was found nearly two hours after he went missing.

HIGHLAND VILLAGE, Texas — A 14-year-old Duncanville boy drowned in Lewisville Lake at Copperas Branch Park on Saturday afternoon. 

The child was later identified as 14-year-old Sebastian Delgado Hernandez, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner. 

The teen's family says they are heartbroken. They say the Sunset High freshman was swimming with family at Copperas Branch Park Saturday afternoon when he went under the water, and didn’t come up.

About two hours later rescuers recovered his body.

He’s the third suspected drowning victim at Lake Lewisville in the past week, and the fourth in the month of September.

“We actually had a guy whose sister had a birthday party today and she saw the news this morning about the drowning that happened yesterday,” said Dallas Jet Ski owner Lamar Woodham. “They canceled the reservation because of it.”

Woodham says they’ve been operating out of Lake Lewisville since 2013 and they see close calls all the time.

“We did three rescues today,” Woodham said. “The one that he just did a gentleman jumping off the dock with no life jacket doesn't have any business in the water.”

He and his staff say people getting in the water who can’t swim is a big problem, and although free life jacket stations are positioned all around the lake, they’re not always utilized.

“You can take a look around and like 90% of these people do not have life jackets on,” said Dallas Jet Ski boat captain Josie Way.

Mark Prahl is a camp host at Lewisville Lake Park and says he’s always warning of the dangers.

“When the lake is low, you know, because this is all man made that when it gets so low that you go out so far, then it drops,” he said.

Families, like the Norris’, say they heard about the drownings but still came to the lake Sunday.

“I think the first thing comes in my head, it's like, how did it happen and how can we prevent it?” said Dakota Norris.

They say hearts go out to all four of this month’s victims. And they hope people will see the dangers and take extra precautions like they did.  

The Medical Examiner's office is investigating the incident, according to the city. 

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