FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A community is in mourning after a 15-year-old high school student accidentally drowned in a Fort Lauderdale lake, Wednesday night.
According to investigators, 15-year-old Fritznel “Fritz” Pierre’s body was found in a lake located between Northeast 16th Street and U.S. 1, at around 2 a.m., Thursday, after search crews, family members and friends looked relentlessly overnight.
Pierre’s friends said they couldn’t find him after he swung from a tree and jumped into the deepest part of the lake, around 8 p.m., Wednesday.
According to fire rescue officials, the lake is extremely deep, dark and muddy.
Thursday afternoon, Pierre’s friends and family gathered by the lake to pay their respects to their friend whose life was cut too short.
“I’m not happy right now because he was my life,” said the victim’s father Fritz Pierre in tears. “I don’t got no family right now, only my son.”
Pierre’s father, a single dad, said he had worked so hard to provide for his son, and now, he is gone. “My son was a good boy,” he said. “He called me ‘Pop’ because he loved me so much.”
The memorial continued to grow into Thursday evening. Even his friends, who were enjoying the summertime with him during his final moments came back to the scene to mourn the loss together.
“He was like the sweetest person you’ve ever met,” said Pierre’s friend Alexandra Robinson. “The nicest kid. He loved his skateboard, so everybody has been putting, ‘Skate on in heaven [on social media].'”
Parents of Pierre’s friends also gathered to mourn the sudden loss of the boy they witnessed grow up.
Fritz was a sweet kid, Fritz was a strong kid, he was very laid back. He was very loving and his smile could just melt your heart,” said family friend Tina Dimarco.
According to locals, the lake is where Fort Lauderdale teens enjoy hanging out during the summer, and yesterday, they were doing just that — swinging, swimming and playing in the lake.
“He was in a lake, and one second he’s above water, next second he’s not,” said Pierre’s friend Jeremy Guardado. “I tried calling his phone, and there’s no answer — I was like, ‘No way.’ Driving over here, I saw the lights, and I didn’t believe it.”
However, neighbors told 7News, teenagers often come to the lake unsupervised, especially in the summer months. “It would bother me if I was a parent,” said a nearby resident. “I always thought it was a concern because the lake is really deep.”
“He was an amazing guy,” said Jerry Earzo, a friend in shock. “He was, honestly. He was so kind to everyone. If someone was drowning, and like he would drown to save someone else. He was that type of person.”
Police and rescue crews responded to the scene around 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, just off Northeast 16th Street and U.S. 1. Investigators said the teen was swimming with a group of friends, when they noticed he was having trouble in the water and went under. The other swimmers then called 911.
“We all got tired,” said Earzo. “We were on the paddle board, and we dropped it off to come back and there was two other people who were with the, I guess victim.”
A fire boat and six divers were out in the water, but officials said they had visibility issues.
Pierre was going to be a junior at Fort Lauderdale High School this year and was going to celebrate his 16th birthday next month.
The medical examiner has ruled that this was an accidental drowning.
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