I may finally have a qualifying submission. The victim is 18 years old (legal adult), no substance abuse apparently, doing something very stupid, had no offspring, and has been removed from the gene pool. Possible mitigating circumstance: the victim was sucked in while searching for a friend who had been sucked in first (the friend lived).

Text below, link above...

The body of Danen I. Clarke, 18, was found about 9 a.m. Thursday in a creek near City Hall in Peachtree City.

Clarke, a Peachtree City resident and May graduate of Fayette County High, disappeared about 12 hours earlier when he was sucked into a culvert hidden by high water near the disc golf course across from the city's Picnic Park.

Bob Gardner, father of one of the boys who was with Clarke, said the accident happened while four or five boys were "wake-skating" — skimming across the water on boards while being pulled by a rope. Clarke's father, Brad Clarke, was with the group, said Stony Lohr, city fire chief.

The group noticed that one of the boys had disappeared, Gardner said. That youth apparently was pulled into the mouth of the culvert by the suction of moving water and came out safely at the other end of the culvert.

The others, not knowing the youth was safe, continued searching, and it was during the search that Clarke was pulled into the culvert, Gardner said.

Fire department crews, family and friends searched all night. Clarke's body was found about 50 feet from the other end of the culvert, stuck under an obstruction and submerged, said Betsy Tyler, spokeswoman for Peachtree City.

Steve Brown, Peachtree City mayor, said the group should have known better than to play in water during severe weather. Lightning struck several spots in Peachtree City Wednesday night and tornado warnings had been issued.

"He should never have been there in the first place," Brown said. "It's a very tragic situation."

But Gardner said the youths were unaware of the pipe's suction power because the mouth of the culvert was submerged under several feet of water.

"They did not perceive danger," Gardner said. "I don't think any of these young men perceived that water could pull them."

Friends said Clarke was physically fit and a strong swimmer. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Peachtree City and was saving money to go on a two-year mission trip.

"He was a great young man," Gardner said. "He was the epitome of what an American kid should be."

Submitted on 07/07/2005

Submitted by: Michael Hartley
Reference: Atlanta Journal 7/7/05

Copyright © 2005 DarwinAwards.com

Kelly said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
more information on the previous submission

Charles said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
More information about the guy boogie-boarding in the culvert (which has not yet made it into the slush pile)... but the fact that he was attempting a rescue may invalidate him.

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