A 16-year-old has died while trying to rescue his friend, who fell into a deep channel in the water at a secluded beach.
According to a news release by the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, the incident occurred on July 4 in the Feather River near the Star Bend boat ramp. The department received a call at around 5:30 PM about a possible drowning. A group allegedly walked to a remote beach and entered the water. One, a 16-year-old boy, “fell into a deep channel and began to struggle before submerging.”
The news release explains that multiple agencies, including the fire department and a boat unit, assisted the rescue operation. Despite their best efforts, they had to call off the search when they lost daylight, which hindered diving crews. On July 5 at around 3:30 PM, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office Technical Rescue Team recovered the boy’s body. They found him “in roughly 17 feet of water.”
The Sheriff’s Department released an updated report on July 8, revealing the 16-year-old’s identity as Nathan Drake from Marysville. They confirmed Drake drowned in the Feather River on July 4.
The 16-year-old Reportedly Died Rescuing His Friend
The report compounds several witness statements. They explain that Drake entered the water “with a friend or to help a friend,” and got into trouble himself. The Sheriff’s Department says the river’s strong currents prevented the teen from reaching the riverbank safely. Authorities declared in a statement, “This tragic incident highlights the unpredictable hazards of river channels, especially in colder temperatures and with such strong undercurrents. Our deep-felt sympathy and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim.”
Nathan’s older brother, Cameron Atcher, started a GoFundMe to help with burial costs. “Please help us lay this hero to rest and not settle for a cremation. No hero deserves to be burnt to ashes and stuck in a vase,” the fundraiser reads.
Atcher also clarifies that his brother dived in to rescue “The littlest of his friends, Milo.” He was reportedly able to drag Milo to another friend, but was pulled under himself. Nathan’s brother wrote, “I am honored to have had such an amazing brother, and I know he’s at the right hand of Jesus for laying his life down for his friend.”