Dallas Fire-Rescue recovered the body of a teenager found in Five Mile Creek Tuesday afternoon.
DFR responded to the call that a body had been spotted in the creek shortly after 3 p.m. The location where the body was found is near E. Ledbetter Drive, west of Interstate 35E south of downtown, along Village Fair Place.
Just after 4 p.m., the child's body was recovered and placed into a van with a Southwestern Medical Center logo.
The victim has been identified as 14-year-old Javar Smith, according to the Dallas Police Department.
Smith and an unnamed friend skipped school Monday, Dallas police officer Monica Cordova told NBC 5.
According to the Dallas Independent School District, the children attended two different schools. The two were currently assigned to the Learning Alternative Center for Empowering Youth (LACEY), an alternative school for Dallas ISD students who'd had disciplinary or other problems at their regular school.
Smith's home school was Boude Storey Middle School, according to information obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
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The incident happened on Monday between 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., according to Cordova.
The two kids skipped school and went down to the creek, Cordova said. One decided to go in the water, but the other couldn't swim, and when the boy began to drown, the 13-year-old friend, ran to a nearby car wash looking for help, but couldn't find anyone.
When the friend returned to the water, Smith couldn't be seen.
The 13-year-old went to school and told an adult family member about the incident, but that person did not believe the teen, Cordova said. No one else was told until Tuesday at school and the fire department found a body that same day, Cordova said.
"He leaves the location, still sees that his friend is under, so he goes to the school where he had a family member who was actually there, tells the family member," Cordova said. "For whatever reason the family member did not believe the story."
The Dallas Morning News obtained an email from DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander that was sent to DISD administrators. In the email, Dahlander said a 14-year-old student skipped class with a friend Monday and decided to go swimming. When the student jumped in the water and began to drown, the other student, a 13-year-old, ran away without telling anyone what had happened. When the teen's mother reported her child missing, the 13-year-old was questioned and eventually led authorities to the creek.
Multiple neighbors who live near Five Mile Creek told NBC 5 they have often seen students in the area of the creek during school hours.
"Sometimes in the daytime, when they're supposed to be in school, they sometimes come around this area of the creek, just to get away from school and stuff," said Oscar Celimundo.
"And you can see them walking down there," Atonya White said. "You know that's where you can't get caught at."
Dallas ISD will send grief counselors to the home schools of both children.
NBC 5's Ben Russell contributed to this report.
