In a tragic accident Saturday, an 18-year old 2026 Mandeville High School graduate drowned in the Bogue Chitto River south of Franklinton.
The accident was reported to 911 at 1:44 p.m. Saturday and later in the day the body of Jonis Warren Jr. was recovered.
Witnesses told deputies that Warren went under the surface of the river and did not resurface. Due to recent heavy rains, both the water depth and the strength of the currents were higher than normal. Warren’s companions were unable to find him.
The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office said Mark Michaud with Southeast Louisiana Underwater Search and Rescue, WPSO Deputies, Northshore Ambulance EMT’s, and Washington Parish District 6 Fire Department personnel were involved in the attempt to rescue the young man, an attempt that tragically became a recovery operation.
Warren had a member of the Mandeville High School Skippers football team.
For his family, the death is especially tough because his father, Jonis Warren Sr., passed away only two years ago.
