Body of Missing Teen Recovered from Sugar Lake

The body of a missing Chatham County teenager was pulled from Sugar lake in Pittsboro early Tuesday morning, according to the county.

Authorities responded to the area of 300 Sugar Lake Road around five o’clock last Wednesday, July 19, after a missing person was reported. Authorities said 18-year-old Gabriel “Boone” Cummins, of Pittsboro, was last seen near the lake early that morning.

Officials said the “unofficial caused of death appears to be drowning,” but added that the body has been turned over to the medical examiner for a final determination.

This is the second apparent drowning at the lake this summer.

Divers initially searched for the body in the lake but were unsuccessful and had to call off the search after conditions limited the productivity when the search reached 40 feet below the surface. Authorities reinitiated the water search around six o’clock Monday evening, according to a release, when the Sherills Ford Fire Department offered their remote-operated vehicle to assist in the search.

“After many hours of attempted recovery, the Remote Operated Vehicle was successful in returning the body to the surface,” according to a release.

Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson extended condolences to the family for their “tragic loss of young life.”

“Our deputies and first responders have worked diligently to find answers. Unfortunately, the answers we find aren’t always pleasant. We had hoped to see Boone return home safely,” Roberson continued in a release.

While the Cummins family expressed gratitude for all in the search, officials are requesting the community respect the family’s privacy.

Body of Missing Teen Recovered from Sugar Lake

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