Red River Sheriff Glen Edwards confirms that one young man drowned Friday afternoon at the Grand Bayou Reservoir spillway.  The incident occurred at about 2:30.

Edwards said, “His immediate family has been notified, but we’re not going to release the name until all of the family members have been notified.  I am in the process of doing that now.”

Edwards said, “The youth was a 20 year old black male out of Shreveport.  His body has been recovered.”

A group of young people had gone to the spillway area to swim.  Sheriff Edwards said, “Some of them were from here and some were from the Shreveport-Bossier area. They had gone swimming.”  Edwards added, “The youth were jumping off the spillway and swimming out to a wooden tower.  That is a dangerous area and it is restricted.  It is even roped off to keep boats out of the area.”

The sheriff said the gates were closed but the high wat was running over the top.  It was an area where swimming is prohibited.

Edwards said he wants to thank Natchitoches Sheriff’s Department, Natchitoches Fire District 9 and Bienville Fire Districts 4 & 5 for sending their dive teams to help with the location and recovery of the victim.