For more than two days, emergency crews searched Lake Lavon and the surrounding shores for Demarcus White, 17, whose body was recovered Monday, June 5.

The teen, who drowned in the lake, jumped from the top deck of a party barge and did not resurface Sunday, June 4, according to information released by Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden Lance May.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, June 4, a 911 call was placed to Collin County Dispatch by church youth group members who stated that the teen was missing.

Search crews, including Wylie Fire-Rescue, Princeton Fire Department and Branch Volunteer Fire Department, assisted at the scene along with Collin County Sheriff Deputies and Game Wardens.

Initial information, May said, indicated the teen had jumped once from the deck, came up and swam for a minute then returned to the shoreline.

Then he jumped off the top again and did not resurface.

The party barge, May said, had several teens on it along with adults, but it was under capacity.

Search crews called off their efforts temporarily at 1 a.m. Monday, June 5 due to severe weather and nightfall, but then resumed the search at 8:30 a.m.

Debris washed into the lake was causing difficulties for the side-scan sonar device, but emergency crews continued the search until the teen’s body was recovered at 6 p.m.

Preliminary information is that Demarcus was in Texas visiting his father for summer vacation and is from Shreveport, Louisiana.

By Wyndi Veigel • News Editor • [email protected]