NORMANDY, Tenn. – (ESPNCLARKSVILLE.COM) – Vanderbilt pitcher and Clarksville native Donny Everett has drowned in a lake near Manchester.
Brian Rives with ESPN Clarksville was alerted to the tragedy Thursday night. “What we know is that Donny and a group of his friends were swimming in Coffee County yesterday evening. Around 5 p.m. they had to call 911 because Donny had not come back up while swimming. He was unable to be revived.”
19-year-old Everett just finished his freshman year at Vanderbilt and was one of the nation’s top pitchers while starring at Clarksville High.
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Coffee County EMS and Rescue Squad responded to the scene.
Coffee County officials told News 2 Everett was at the lake to fish with two teammates and two other friends.
All four individuals told authorities that they thought Everett was “just joking around,” when he called for help because he was smiling and did not seem to be in distress.
One of the friends was able to reach him and pull Everett several feet, but stated that he is not a good swimmer and was struggling to stay afloat.
He told the responding deputy that Everett did not seem to be struggling. He let go of Everett and swam back to shore still thinking Everett was joking.
He stated that when he looked back, Everett had gone under and did not re-surface.
His body was recovered by Coffee County Rescue Squad divers in approximately 25 feet of water approximately 15 feet off the shore line.
He was transported to Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma and then transported to Nashville by State Medical Examiners for autopsy.
WKRN contributed to this report