SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, Va. - A teenager drowned in the Nottoway River in Southampton County Sunday afternoon, according to the Southampton County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to the boat ramp off Smiths Ferry Road (Highway 258) south of Franklin around 4 p.m. after receiving reports of a reported drowning.
The Sheriff's Office's dive team recovered the body of the 16-year-old victim and he was pronounced dead by EMS at 6:43 p.m.
Witnesses say the teen and others were swimming in the river when he began to struggle to stay above the surface, eventually going under and not coming back up.
The victim's family has been notified and have identified his body, but detectives are not releasing his name to the public.
The teen's death appears to be an accidental drowning but the Officer of the Chief Medical Examiner will perform an exam to rule out any suspicious circumstances.
