Two Teens Identified After Lake Hartwell Incident

Tragedy Strikes in Pickens County as Two Teens’ Bodies Recovered from Lake Hartwell

PICKENS COUNTY — Authorities have identified the two teenagers whose bodies were recovered after they went missing during a group bridge-jumping challenge in Lake Hartwell. Emergency crews found the bodies of 16-year-old Rayan Al-Nasser and 15-year-old Zakaria Chaar around 10:30 a.m. on May 20 after beginning a search late on May 18, according to Chief Deputy Chuck James of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

James said the teens, both sophomores at D.W. Daniel High School, were jumping off a bridge by Old Jewel Bridge and Pike roads, near the Twelve Mile Recreation Area.

Search and Rescue Efforts

There had been a group chat among students at the high school where they challenged one another to jump and swim back to shore. Four students went out to the bridge, with three jumping into the lake, James said. One teen made it to shore and saw another teen had landed awkwardly and needed help. He jumped in to save him, and both went under. Around 10:30 p.m., a 911 call came in from one of the other teens to report that two were missing, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. Divers searched through the night until early the morning of May 19. Water visibility made the search “incredibly challenging,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

The bridge is just minutes down the road from Daniel High. As a memorial to Al-Nasser and Chaar, people placed flowers and stuffed animals where the students had jumped. A Pickens County School District spokesman said counselors were available at the high school on May 20.

Condolences and Memorials

“Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families, friends, and the entire D.W. Daniel High School community,” spokesman Darian Byrd said. “The loss of these young lives is a profound tragedy, impacting not only their families but also their classmates, teachers, and the broader community.”

Al-Nasser was a forward on Daniel’s varsity boys soccer team. His coach, Thomas Izaguirre, said on Instagram he received the hardest news a coach could ever receive. “I would give up every trophy and even my life for him to be back with his family,” Izaguirre said. “Rayan you will be missed. I will forever carry you in my heart.”

An Instagram sports account with content related to the school also posted a memoriam of Chaar on May 20.

Community Grieves

“It just shows you how sacred life is,” Mackenzie Whitt, a junior at the school, told The Post and Courier. “You’d see them every day in the hallways smiling, and then the next day, they’re just gone. We picked vibrant flowers. They were very vibrant, always loud and smiling.”