06/03/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks
Buffalo, NY – A 16-year-old high school sophomore lost his life Monday, May 31, 2010, when he drowned during an attempt to save a girl he thought was drowning, as reported by wivb.com. DiQuan Warren is the second Buffalo teenager to drown in the span of five days.
The teen drowned at approximately 3:20 p.m. in a pond in Squaw Island Park, which is between Niagra River and the Black Rock locks. His body was retrieved by police divers 40 minutes after he went under.
A friend who was with DiQuan reported that the two were swimming near the north part of the island when DiQuan tried to help a girl he thought was drowning. His friend said DiQuan was struggling in the water before he sank.
Police are still deliberating on whether the girl DiQuan was trying to help was drowning, or if she was pretending.
Squaw Island Park is a city park. The city does not allow swimming on any property other than city pools, but there are no signs stating that.
The Deputy Commissioner for Buffalo Parks, Andrew Rabb, explained, “We are going to consider where, or if, we need more signs. Buffalo is a city on the lake and river. There are many access points on the water. I don’t think that everybody wants to see a ‘No Swimming’ sign everywhere that you have access to water.”
There were approximately 20 people swimming in the area where DiQuan was when the drowning occurred.
Warren was described as a pleasant young man that will be missed. His mother, Angie Boyd-Smith explained her sentiments as, “I don’t know how to feel right now, because he went in to save a life…he was doing something out of his heart.”
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