A standout Montgomery athlete and rising UAB freshman drowned Wednesday afternoon in a Lee County lake.
Coroner Bill Harris identified the victim as 18-year-old Jamari Smith. The recent graduate was a star athlete at Lee High School and a member of the 2020 Alabama state championship team.
Auburn police and fire medics, as well as East Alabama Medical Center EMS, responded about 4:30 p.m. to a report of a possible drowning at the lake area of Chewacla State Park off Shell Toomer Parkway in Auburn.
Shortly after their arrival, Harris said, Smith was located underwater in the lake. Advanced life support measures were immediately initiated, and he was rushed to the emergency room of East Alabama Medical Center. Efforts to revive Smith were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead in the emergency room at 6:05 p.m.
Harris said Smith was with friends swimming at the lake when he apparently became tired and went under. 911 was called as the friends attempted to locate Smith.
Auburn firefighters located Smith shortly after their arrival. Harris said no foul play is suspected and the case is being treated as an accidental drowning. The case is being investigated by the Auburn Police and the Lee County Coroner.
At the 2020 championship game, the Lee team honored two former players – Rod Scott and Shaquille Johnson – by hanging their jerseys on the end of the bench Saturday night. Scott died in a car accident in 2016. Johnson was shot and killed in 2018.
“Rod and Shaquille – they were the two most outstanding people in the world,” Jamari Smith said then. “They had such big hearts. They were caring. They were always going the extra mile to do the right thing. They were truly walk by faith and not sight guys.”