Teen Benjamin Ola Drowns In Brazos River

RICHMOND, Texas -- A teenage lifeguard and football player drowned while swimming in the Brazos River on Friday.

Benjamin Ola, 17, was swimming with friends in the Brazos River near F.M. 359 and Blaisdale Road at 10 a.m. after football practice. They had been in the water for only a few minutes when Ola went underwater and never surfaced.

"When they all started to swim back in, they saw him swimming fine. He came up for air, took a big gulp, went back down and never came back up," said Sgt. Lowell Neinast of the Richmond Police Department.

Officials said the group was from Travis High School, 11111 Harlem Road, and went in the water after its football practice. The five teens are on the junior varsity football team.

Ola's friends called 911 after he didn't reappear in 10 minutes.

The Richmond Fire Department's dive team searched the river while his teammates watched helplessly from the shore.

Around 3 p.m., sonar equipment located something on the bottom of the river near the area where Ola was last seen.

"They have to do everything by touch," Neinast said. "They got some activity from the sonar, went down and checked it out. Unfortunately, it was the body of a black male teenager that we recovered."

"I don't know why it had to happen to Ben, my son," said Ola's father, Issac. "Ben was intelligent, a boy who wanted to be a medical doctor."

Issac Ola said his son was a lifeguard.

"He went for the training," Issac Ola said. "Out of the four or five of them that went to swim, according to them ... why is it only one that know how to swim died? And all of the four are OK?"

The point in the river where Benjamin Ola drowned was about 6 feet deep. Benjamin Ola was 6 feet 4 inches tall.

"It's always a dangerous river," Neinast said. "We'd never recommend anybody swim in this river."

The high school is on a two-a-day football practice schedule, from 6-8 a.m. and 6-8 p.m. weekdays. The Fort Bend Independent School District said the teens left practice at 7:30 a.m. Friday.

"After the practice he was supposed to go home," Issac Ola said. "I tried to call him on the phone. I couldn't get through to him."

The team gathered at the school Friday afteoon. They said they did not understand how a friend they saw hours ago could be gone.

"It's just crazy to think he's not here anymore," teammate Logan Lynch said. "They're walking around with you this moing and everything's fine, everything's great. Then you get home and find out over the Inteet, the news, that they're gone."

Benjamin Ola would have been a junior in the upcoming school year. He played tight end on the JV squad and was in the junior ROTC program.

"He'll bring us together as a team," Lynch said. "We'll come together, and we'll get over this. We'll conquer over it. We just got to keep going. He'll never be forgotten."

Travis High School has canceled all activities scheduled for this weekend.

"This news has saddened our staff and our students, and our hearts and prayers go out to the family," Travis High School Principal Jeryl Jean Kyle wrote in a letter to parents. "You may want to discuss what has happened with your child."

The school will have counselors available at the field house Saturday until 1 p.m. for students who need help.