High schooler found dead after vanishing on group trip to Florida lake, cops say
A high schooler was found dead after he vanished on a group trip to a Florida lake, according to police and a school district.
The teen was at a lake with five friends when he went under water and didn’t come back to the surface Wednesday, May 14. Crews searched for the missing teen until the next day, when a dive team found his body in the lake, the Orlando Police Department told WESH and WOFL.
The tragedy unfolded on Lake Whippoorwill, which is near an apartment complex and a roughly 20-mile drive southeast from downtown Orlando. The group of six teens had been on the water to kayak and paddleboard, officers told news outlets and wrote in an email to McClatchy News.
Police didn’t identify the teen, who drowned on the lake, according to WOFL. In an email to McClatchy News, an Orange County Public Schools spokesperson confirmed the boy had been a student in the district.
“I am heartbroken by the loss of one of our Lake Nona High School students who tragically died off campus Wednesday evening,” Superintendent Maria Vazquez wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
The superintendent also said the district will offer grief counseling after the “unimaginable loss.”
The Orlando Police Department in its email said it didn’t have additional information to share.
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 11:10 AM with the headline "High schooler found dead after vanishing on group trip to Florida lake, cops say."
