15-year-old JROTC cadet vanishes at camp in NC mountains, cops say. Body found in lake

A 15-year-old was found dead in a lake after vanishing at a camp in the North Carolina mountains, officials said.

The teen was a member of the JROTC, which was conducting a swimming exercise at Camp Bud Schiele. The boy went into the water and didn’t come back to the surface, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.

Deputies said divers searched for the missing teen and later found his body in the lake. The boy had been participating in the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge program, which focuses on physical fitness and other activities.

A spokesperson for U.S. Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky — which oversees JROTC — said the program values cadet safety and was “deeply saddened” by the teen’s death.

“We are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation by the local sheriff’s office,” Maj. Dan Lessard wrote in an email. “Out of respect for the cadet and their loved ones, we have cancelled the remainder of the week-long camp. Additionally, we are suspending all open-water swim tests and requiring life preservers or floatation devices for all other open-water activities at Leadership Challenge camps around the country while we review safety protocols.”

After reaching out to Camp Bud Schiele , Scouting America shared a statement with McClatchy News via email.

“We are saddened to learn of the loss of the Army Junior ROTC member at Camp Bud Schiele on Sunday,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and fellow campers during this very difficult time.”

The sheriff’s office and several other agencies were called to the scene June 9. The drowning was reported in Rutherfordton, a roughly 45-mile drive southeast from the popular mountain town of Asheville.

“Investigators with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office conducted an on-scene investigation of the incident and will continue with investigative follow-up activities,” deputies wrote in their June 10 post. “At this time no foul play is suspected and the incident appears to be a tragic accident.”

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