Chatham County Sheriff: Body of 19-Year-Old Recovered After Drowning at Jordan Lake

The fourth reported fatality at Jordan Lake happened Sunday night, according to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, as a young man drowned while swimming in the water.

A release from the sheriff’s office said first responders recovered the body of a 19-year-old around 11 p.m. after he drowned near the intersection of Farrington Road and Martha’s Chapel Road. Investigators said the victim was at Jordan Lake with several friends and a family member to fish and float in the water. Those with the 19-year-old said they saw his flotation device drift away and he swam out to get it — but seemed to have lost his energy and went underwater. The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said emergency responders were dispatched to the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Sunday’s release said the drowning victim’s identity is being withheld until more of his family is notified. In addition to the sheriff’s office, the North Chatham Fire Department, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, FirstHealth EMS and Chatham County Emergency Management helped with the search and recovery.

The death comes shortly after a pair of others on Jordan Lake, as two Durham residents were out on the water in the same area around the same time the brunt of Tropical Depression Chantal swept through central North Carolina and dropped historic amounts of rainfall on the region. Search and rescue crews recovered their bodies on July 7 and July 8. In June, a Fayetteville man drowned after slipping and falling into the water below B. Everett Jordan Dam, which is one of the southern-most points of Jordan Lake. Sunday’s fatality means 2025 surpasses the amount of reported deaths at the lake in 2024 (three).

No other information is being publicly made available as of Sunday night, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said.

Featured image via Chatham County Sheriff’s Office

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Chatham County Sheriff: Body of 19-Year-Old Recovered After Drowning at Jordan Lake

The fourth reported fatality at Jordan Lake happened Sunday, as a 19-year-old drowned while swimming in the water near Martha's Chapel Road.

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