A teenage boy has drowned in the Greenbrier River at Alderson.

On Saturday, May 24, Alderson firefighters and EMTs responded to the Alderson Mini Park, a popular swimming area, about a possible drowning.

Divers were called in, and, within 30 minutes, located the teenage boy, who remains unnamed as of press time.

The victim was swimming with a friend, who called emergency services after losing sight of him when they swam across the river.

EMS workers say the boy was swept away by the powerful current, noting that since last year’s flood, there are parts of the river that are much deeper, with a stronger undertow, than there were previously.

Emergency service personnel urge caution when swimming: never swim alone, use a life jacket, and even when swimming with a buddy, make sure someone else, especially an adult, knows where you are.