FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ten days after FGCU student Graham McGrath died in a lake on campus, we now know he was not alone in the water.
A newly released report from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said McGrath and the 13 other people on the boat got off to swim, but someone noticed that McGrath did not come back up. The group called 911 as soon as they realized the 19-year-old did not resurface.
Tina Flemming is a medical expert and long-time swim coach. She says anyone can drown, especially in a lake.
“Even if you can swim simply because you don’t know what’s in the lake, you don’t know if there’s weeds or other things that you could potentially run into that is sitting on the bottom,” said Flemming. “Drowning is silent. It’s not like the movies. You’re not going to see people waving their hands and yelling for help. That’s not what happens.”
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Crews searched for McGrath overnight, finally finding his body the next day.
FGCU is offering counseling services on campus. Therapist Caryn DePasquale recommends students use its services and look out for one another during this difficult time.
“It takes 5 seconds to send a text ‘Are you okay?’ That’s what you need. To feel that someone cares about what you’re going through and they are going to be there throughout the whole process,” said DePasquale.