Farmersville Lights 300 x 250

Identity of teen drowning victim released

by | Jun 8, 2017 | Latest

Wylie Fire-Rescue and the Princeton Fire Department along with assistance from Branch Volunteer Fire Department and Parks and Wildlife recovered the body of Demarcus White,17, a drowning victim Monday, June 5 from Lake Lavon. Note: the photo was from a training exercise last year, not from the incident on Lake Lavon.

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]

Best of 2025 Leaderboard

0 Comments

Subscribe RH Love

Related News

Boys’ Soccer Preview: Wylie East

Boys’ Soccer Preview: Wylie East

Wylie East senior Nick Nobleza (7) shares a huge with junior Joel Gonzalez (11) after making a play during a Tuesday, Jan. 7 game against Plano. Senior Sean Burkett (6) walks in to congratulate Gonzalez. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media By David Wolman...

read more
Commissioners court addresses key items

Commissioners court addresses key items

The Collin County Commissioners Court convened for its first meeting of 2025 on Monday, Jan. 13, addressing a range of topics across several county departments and agencies.  In addition to the regular business of the commissioners’ court, the meeting included...

read more
Forrester will not seek reelection 

Forrester will not seek reelection 

Wylie Mayor pro tem Jeff Forrester has announced he will not seek reelection to Place 3 on city council. In an email Jan. 9, Forrester said he will not file for re-election and instead challenged others to serve the community. “It has been an incredible honor to serve...

read more
Toy museum makes space for nostalgia

Toy museum makes space for nostalgia

Stephen Gardner, owner and operator of The Best Little Toy Museum in Texas, stands in his St. Paul museum which holds his 20,000-piece collection of toys and memorabilia. Allison LaBrot/The Wylie News For some, the magic of toys does not fade when Santa stops coming....

read more
Filing for city council election opens Jan. 15

Filing for city council election opens Jan. 15

The filing period for the city of Wylie’s May 3, 2025, city council election officially opens Jan. 15.  This marks the beginning of the process for residents interested in running for one of two available city council seats up for election: Place 1, currently...

read more
Old laws get new provisions

Old laws get new provisions

Most of the more than 1,000 bills the 88th Texas Legislature passed in 2023 took immediate effect or were implemented in 2024, but a handful of new laws took effect as 2025 began. Most non-commercial Texas vehicles no longer require a vehicle safety inspection. The...

read more
Texas’ 89th Legislature commences Jan. 14

Texas’ 89th Legislature commences Jan. 14

As Texas lawmakers prepare for the 89th Legislature to convene on Tuesday, Jan. 14, hundreds of bills have been filed, signaling the start of the 140-day regular session.  Every two years, the Texas Legislature meets in Austin for a session that allows lawmakers to...

read more
Order photos