NEWS

 

Late this afternoon, the News of Davidson team was alerted to an incident at the Davidson College Lake Campus. Earlier this evening we sought an official statement from the college to be able to give our readers some very basic facts of the incident. The following was provided to us:

To the Davidson Community,

We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family involved in the tragic incident at the Lake Campus today, which was the reason you received notice of the Lake Campus closing.

At a few minutes after 3 p.m. today, rescue personnel were called to the Lake Campus in response to the report of a missing swimmer. First responders from several jurisdictions assisted in a search, and located the swimmer, who was the out-of-town, adult guest of a college retiree’s family. The swimmer was found under water and unresponsive. Rescue personnel performed CPR but ultimately pronounced the swimmer dead at the scene. The swimmer’s identity has not yet been released. The Lake Campus will remain closed until tomorrow.

We want to remind anyone who visits the Lake Campus to follow the posted safety guidelines. Among the most important tips to remember:  Please do not swim alone. Stay in a depth of water where you can stand up, and ensure that any small children are supervised and have safety flotation devices.

Chief J. Coaxum, Davidson College Police Department

UPDATED Information: On Monday, the victim was identified as 37-year-old Whitney Brooke Wilkins of Greenville, S.C.