BORDEN —
Investigators want to speak to anyone who witnessed the drowning of 13-year-old Da’Quan Yewell on Wednesday at Deam Lake in light of reports of possible foul play.
Conservation Officer Jim Schreck said they still believe the death of the Louisville teenager was an accidental drowning.
After the recovery effort Wednesday night, a woman approached officers and said a juvenile told her there was “some horseplay in the water.” The woman earlier told reporters that an older white man was seen holding Yewell under water just before the drowning. She said the man also made a racial slur during the encounter.
Schreck said he and other investigators interviewed all witnesses at length on Wednesday and “that was never mentioned.” He said officers do not know the identity of the child who made the claims of horseplay because all of the witnesses had already left when the information was reported to them.
“All witnesses will be re-interviewed [Friday] just to cover our bases,” Schreck said. “As far as we’re concerned, it’s still an accidental drowning.”
The Indiana State Police received a 911 call at about 4 p.m. reporting a possible drowning.
Yewell, one of five boys on a field trip with a chaperone, had been swimming along the beach area and decided to swim toward a buoy about 90 feet from shore, Schreck said. The other children notified adults on shore when Yewell disappeared under the water.
A dive team recovered his body at about 6 p.m. about 40 to 50 feet from shore in about eight to 10 feet of water.
Clark County Coroner Edwin “Huck” Coots said Yewell’s death was “consistent with a fresh-water drowning,” and there was no evidence of foul play.
Anyone with information about the case should call the Department of Natural Resources at 812-837-9536.
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