Two high school boys drowned after jumping from a South Carolina bridge on a dare by friends in a group chat — with one of them leaping in to try to save his pal, according to officials.
The bodies of D.W. Daniel High School sophomores Rayan Alnasser, 16, and Zakaria Chaar, 15, were recovered from Lake Hartwell on Monday after the deadly dare late Saturday.
Egged on by friends who met them there, one of the boys jumped from Twelve Mile River Bridge — and “immediately went into distress,” deputies from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office told Fox Carolina.
“The reports from an individual who was on shore sounded like the way he landed was awkward, which might have caused him to go into distress,” Chief Deputy Chuck James said.
It was not immediately clear which of the two boys jumped first. But the second boy then jumped in to try to save his friend, before also being dragged underwater by the strong current, James said.
Another teen called 911 at 10:28 p.m. to say they could not find Alnasser and Chaar in the water.
First responders arrived within minutes and began searching the area using divers boats and sonar. The search continued into Sunday before cadaver dogs were brought in Monday.
Their bodies were found using sonar Monday morning around 11 a.m. in an area of the lake that was around 15-feet deep, authorities said.
“TikTok trends or, you know, habits where people are trying to encourage people to jump off bridges or anything in that nature… I mean, it’s just inherently not safe,” James said.
In a statement, the School District of Pickens County shared their “deepest condolences and prayers” with the two students’ loved ones.
“The loss of these young lives is a profound tragedy, impacting not only their families but also their classmates, teachers, and the broader community,” the district said.
“In times like this, our priority is to provide the necessary support and care to our students, staff, and families. SDPC has a dedicated team of school counselors, psychologists, and mental health professionals ready to assist anyone in need during this difficult time.”
Alnasser, a soccer player for Daniel High School, was mourned by his coach, Thomas Izaguirre.
“I would give up every trophy and even my life for him to be back with his family,” he wrote in a Facebook tribute. “Rayan you will be missed. I will forever carry you in my heart. I love you Rayan rest easy.”
The two teens were remembered by classmates, many left grappling with grief for the first time.
“It’s really affected a lot of people because… they’re super friendly to everyone,” Mackenzie Witt, a junior at Daniel High School, told WSPA.
“I think they would be really happy that the community is coming together and not everyone just so sad, I think they’d love that,” Witt added. “Everyone’s coming together and just loving everyone, I think that’s what they would want to happen, everyone to be happy and love each other.”
The school district plans to hold a vigil to honor the two students.
