ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — A Baton Rouge teenager is missing after reportedly being swept into rough water while on a beach trip to Orange Beach, Ala. over the weekend.
According to WALA FOX 10, 14-year-old Tyreke Walker was celebrating his birthday with his family when he disappeared on Saturday evening. The television station reports that Walker was swept into the water just after beach flags were upgraded from red to double red.
Walker's father, Clint, nearly drowned while trying to pull his son to safety. The father was rushed to the emergency room due to excessive water inhalation.
"I grabbed him, and I had him, but the water was just pulling us and pulling us," Clint Walker told FOX 10. "Honestly, I didn't think I was going to make it. I lost his grip. I kept getting thrown to the bottom of the water, and somehow I made it to shore, and he didn’t. I just wish I would’ve held on longer.”
WBRZ in Baton Rouge reports that a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family.
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