Two high school students are believed to have jumped from a South Carolina bridge into a lake before drowning because they were apparently challenged by friends during a group chat.
Ryan Al-Nasser, 16, and Zakaria Chaar, 15, were both students at Daniel High School in Pickens County, South Carolina.
Local police say the two men were in a group chat with friends daring them to jump from the Twelve Mile River Bridge into Lake Hartwell.
On July 4, the lake was the scene of a tragic accidental drowning of an 18-year-old boy.
The boys, both sophomores, apparently challenged their friends and jumped off the bridge on Saturday.
Ryan Al-Nasser (pictured left), 16, and Zakaria Chaar (pictured right), 15, were both 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 during a group chat.
Police were notified around 10:30 p.m. Saturday by a 911 caller saying she had lost her friends.
According to police, it appears that one of the boys jumped while another tried to rescue him before being swept away by the current of the water.
“Reports of an individual who was on the ground appeared to have been clumsy, which could have put him in distress,” Deputy Chief Chuck James said.
He added that one of the boys was “immediately distressed”. A second call was made to 911 reporting that the boys were missing.
Authorities searched for two days before the bodies were finally pulled from the water at 11 a.m. Monday morning by a local boater.
The bodies were found about eight feet apart in the 15-foot-deep water.
James blamed the boys’ deaths on what is apparently a social media challenge and peer pressure.
“TikTok trends or, you know, habits where people try to encourage people to jump off bridges or anything like that… I mean, that’s just not safe in itself ” he told Fox Carolina.
Al-Nasser (pictured) and Chaar were found dead on Monday morning, eight feet apart.
Local police say the two men were participating in group chats with friends, daring them to jump from the Twelve Mile River Bridge into Lake Hartwell.
According to police, it appears that one of the boys jumped 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 the 15-foot-deep water.
The Pickens County School District, where Daniel High School is located, called it a “profound tragedy.”
“We ask for privacy and respect for the families as they navigate this unimaginable loss. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
They added that counseling is available on site at the high school for anyone who may need it.
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