Boomtown drowning victim identified

Published 3:05 pm Monday, August 17, 2015

ROSE CITY — Officials with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a teen that drowned while swimming at Boomtown USA in Rose City on Sunday.

The teen has been identified as Joshua Murry, 14, Orange County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Clint Hodgkinson.

Murry was a resident of Boys Haven.

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“Boys Haven is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our boys today (Sunday) at Boomtown in Rose City.  The well-being of our boys is always our number one priority.  We are currently assisting state and local authorities with gathering the details relating to this tragic event.  Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” according to a statement released by Boys Haven.

OSCO responded to Boomtown, 1495 W. Freeway, Rose City, at about 2:55 p.m. Aug. 16 in reference to a possible drowning.

When deputies arrived, they learned that several juvenile boys were swimming in the lake when one of the boys began to struggle in the water. Two boys noticed he was struggling and tried to reach him to pull him up, according to the Sheirff’s Office. They were unable to grab him before he went under and he never resurfaced. They were in water over their heads and they could not find him.

Divers with the Beaumont Fire Department arrived on scene to assist with the search and were able to locate the body of the juvenile.

Justice of the Peace Derry Dunn ordered an autopsy and the body was transported to the Jefferson County Morgue.