LEXINGTON, N.C. — The Davidson County Sheriff's Office said a man died after he drowned at High Rock Lake on Sunday night.
"This is somebody's brother, child, uncle," Eric Morrow said. He's the Chief of the Davidson County Rescue Squad, one of several agencies that responded.
"Dealing with death is not easy, especially a young person like this boy here," Morrow said.
The sheriff's office said 20-year-old Pleh Reh, of Winston-Salem, was on a float in the Buddle Creek swimming area when he fell off and never resurfaced.
"He could not swim. He was in about 10 feet of water, about 25 feet from the bank," Morrow said, "He just got in distress and panicked."
Morrow also said the victim's niece tried to help him but couldn't save him because he was pulling her underwater.
A Davidson County Deputy working in the Buddle Creek access, where the victim was swimming, tried to find the victim. He could not because the water was too murky.
Rescue personnel found him a short time later about 15 feet from the shore. They couldn't revive him.
Morrow said his squad has been busy with water rescues.
"We average 4 or 5 a year. This year, it's not even summer and we've already had 3 or 4 this year since January," Morrow said.
He said two incidents involved groups of kayakers on the Yadkin River.
He's not sure there's one clear reason behind the increase in rescues.
"A lot of times just inexperience and complacency," Morrow said, "Sometimes alcohol is involved."
He reminds people, both kids and adults, to always wear a life jacket.