Promising 15-Year-Old Football Prodigy’s Life Tragically Cut Short In Lake Incident

The community of Arizona once again woke up to the tragic news of the death of a 15-year-old boy in the Show Low Lake. Christopher Hampton was a student of Cesar Chavez High School and was part of the school’s football team.

The football team was in the middle of its summer camp in the White Mountains at Lakeside Blue Ridge High and decided to venture out to the lake in the neighboring town.

Visit to the lake proved fatal

The football team conducted a summer camp for the members and decided to explore the neighboring town, which had the Show Low Lake after wrapping up their activities. The staff present there alerted authorities and dialed 911 around 8 pm, after learning that Christopher had been missing.

They responded immediately and took swift action, Search rescue operations were underway in full swing, with a dive team, air support, and boats to help accelerate the operation. The boy was lost on a Monday evening when the distress call was made but his body was only found the next day in the afternoon. After a rigorous search, the authorities were able to locate and identify his body, in the lake.

Speaking to the media about the investigation in a press release, “All three Navajo County Search and Rescue groups, the Navajo County Search and Rescue, the White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse and the Hashknife, have been activated. Arizona DPS air rescue is also on scene,” the statement said.”

“Officers from the Show Low Police Department, Deputies from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Timber Mesa Fire Department responded immediately to locate the missing juvenile,” the release said. “Searches were conducted throughout the area by boat, ground and air.”

ALSO READ: Days After Michael Phelps Revealed the Horrifying Drowning Numbers, 34-Year-Old Loses Life While Swimming at Home

Community comes together in peril

The untimely and unfortunate demise of Christopher has certainly sent shockwaves down the community. Various members of the community offered their condolences. It is learned that the Phoenix Union has set up a process where grieving students, staff, and members of the community can avail services, if in need of any help or support.

The Union also released a statement after the tragic news, “Our hearts are with the family as we continue to search. We hope for our student’s safe return and appreciate the outpouring of support during this difficult time.”

Before the commencement of the official Arizona Interscholastic Association practices, several high school football programs from the Valley travel to Blue Ridge for their camps to prepare for the season and avoid the oppressive heat. The town of Show Low is close to Lakeside. The state of Arizona has seen a series of tragic deaths in the past few weeks. Just last week, a 73-year-old cyclist was found dead in the desert, after a distress call to his wife about a flat tire.

The community mourns the loss of life and hopes to not witness any more tragic deaths.

WATCH THIS STORY | Drowning 7-Year-Old Boy Saved by Two Boys Aged 8 and 12 as They Pulled Him Out From the Bottom of the Pool