Six teens drown trying to save each other from Red River sinkhole

Six teens drown trying to save each other from Red River sinkhole
'It was nothing I could do but watch them drown one by one'

updated 8/3/2010 9:24:24 AM ET

SHREVEPORT, La. — Six teenagers from at least two families drowned in the Red River in northwest Louisiana after they stepped off a ledge from shallow water into a 18-foot sinkhole Monday, fire officials said.

Shreveport Fire Chief Brian Crawford told the Shreveport Times that the victims, aged 13 to 18, had drowned while trying to save each other. Only one, a 14-year-old, was rescued.

Emergency crews on both sides of the river responded to reports of a single person drowning before 6:30 p.m., just south of the area in Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park. It took fire officials about 10 minutes to locate the sinkhole, and that's when they learned there were multiple victims.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38533071/ns/us_news-life/

I heard about this on the Weather Channel this morning, very sad. They said three of them were brothers.

From your link

"Assistant fire chief Fred Sanders said it was believed the dead included three brothers from one family and a sister and two brothers from another."

May they rest in peace....

I hope the families and bystanders can find some sort of peace from this tragedy. I can't even imagine not being able to get to them. A parents worst nightmare...

If you can't swim you should stay out of the water...I just don't understand why more people don't "water proof" their kids of all ages...so they don't panic when they're in water over their head..If one lives near a body of water it would prevent unnecessary drowning accidents...