ST. PAUL -
A teenager has drowned in a lake at a campground in St. Paul.
Conservation officers say 19-year-old Derick Gentry of Indianapolis drowned in the lake at Hidden Paradise campground. Officers say he was at the campground with friends when he began showing signs of distress in the water.
"The victim got about 30 feet from the dock where he entered, began flailing his arms in obvious distress," said DNR Officer Gary Catron.
His friends tried to help. One threw a life jacket to Gentry, while the other tried to stay with him.
"They tried to help, got to him. He was actually pulling them down," Catron said.
A sheriff's deputy from Decatur County and the owner of the campground put on diving gear and entered the water. They located Gentry after a 30-minute search in 20 feet of water and pulled him from the water.
Gentry was pronounced dead just before 6 p.m.
The drowning is the second at the campground in the last three weeks. A 14-year-old Harshman Middle School student, Dujuan Thompson, drowned in the quarry June 10.
Hidden Paradise is a private campground built around retired limestone quarries. There are no lifeguards on the property and every swimmer signs a waiver. It is a "swim at your own risk" campground.
With temperatures soaring into record territory heading into the July 4 holiday, DNR officers are on high alert.
"Watch out for each other as close as you can. It only takes a split-second for someone to disappear under the water," Catron said.
Tuesday's incident remains under investigation.
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