A 14-year-old boy from Chicago has drowned while attending a church camp in Wisconsin. According to the victim’s GoFundMe, created by Pastor John Ciesniewski in the family’s honor, Langston Britton lost his life on July 25 at StuCo Camp.
Videos by Suggest
Teenage Boy Drowns While Attending Church Camp
Langston is remembered for his “grace, curiosity, faith, and compassion,” wrote the Pastor. “His laughter, his questions, his hugs, and his presence brought warmth and joy to every room he entered.”
In a statement from Silver Birch Ranch, the camp explained what happened to Langston. The teenager “went underwater while swimming in the designated swimming area and did not resurface,” it wrote. This incident occurred at around 1:15 PM while he was with his church youth group.
Lifeguards immediately responded to the situation and recovered him from the lake. “[They] began CPR and life-saving measures until emergency medical services arrived,” it continued.
Despite all of the first responders’ efforts, Langston tragically passed away. The church then notified the family about the untimely death.
According to NBC Chicago, the drowning occurred in the town of Wolf River at Sawyer Lake. Although police dispatched a rescue helicopter to the scene, Langston was already pronounced dead upon arrival.
This tragedy came weeks before the teenager was set to attend Romeoville High School. The school proceeded to send a message to the community concerning his death.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Langston Britton, a beloved student from our Romeoville community,” it said. “Langston was an active member of both his school and church youth group. He was looking forward to beginning his high school journey at Romeoville High School.”
The school described Langston for his “caring heart, compassion, strong work ethic, and kindness.” It also requested that families connect during this difficult time. “As we grieve this profound loss, we encourage families to speak with their children and offer support as needed.”
What we know about the StuCo Camp is that it’s a five-day religious summer camp experience. The website described this experience as a way for “high school students to find clarity and contentment in a relationship with Christ, experience reflection away from daily distractions, and focus on what it looks like to truly live for Christ.”