Teenager drowns in popular Bartow County river

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. — Friends of Sergio Cadenas, 17, said they were swimming near State Route 293 in Bartow County when the teen went underwater and never resurfaced.

Tina Smith told Channel 2's Carl Willis she was heartbroken when she arrived at the scene Tuesday afternoon and heard the words from a boy who had been swimming with the victim moments earlier.

"He was just trying to help him and he couldn't find him. And he was just so torn up about it that he couldn't do anything to save him," Smith told Willis.

Cadenas’ body was found about 300 yards down the river from where he went under.

Bartow County EMS said Cadenas was trying to cross the river and reach a railroad pillar with two friends when, they believe, he was taken under by the current.

Willis spoke with teens from North Paulding High School who were on their way to swim the exact path.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Baby died in hot car while mom got her hair done, police say
• Notorious 86-year-old jewel thief arrested again
• Ebenezer's Rev. Raphael Warnock arrested during Capitol protest

"You have to be careful. Take it as a lesson," swimmer Ethan Richardson said.

“We have a group of friends that come out here over the summer and it's scary to think that it could be one of them,” another swimmer, Jackson Hellen, told Willis.

Some residents in the area said they believe something needs to be done to warn visitors.

"I think something needs to be put up to make people aware this is not calm water," Brittany Buchanan said. "We stopped a baseball team just a couple of days ago. It's not safe."

First responders are sending out renewed warnings after they recovered the teen's body. Brad Cothram with Bartow County EMS told Willis that it's his hope that future visitors will not underestimate the river’s power.

"Even though it doesn't seem like a very long ways, you can misjudge those distances and get in trouble very quickly," Cothram said.

"The current is really bad. The dam is right down the street. Therefore, it's going to be a little more intense on this side," Smith said.

Cox Media Group