Teen Drowns In Pond After Being Flung Off While Horse Riding

A 17-year-old boy has died from drowning after he was flung into a pond while riding a horse.

The body of Jacory Levier was recovered from a retention pond near Beau Chene High School in Louisiana on Tuesday, July 20.

According to Sheriff Bobby Guidroz of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Levier was riding a horse in the water when the horse got spooked and darted off throwing the boy into the pond.

Levier did not resurface after falling into the water, Guidroz said.

Authorities received a call reporting about the drowning incident and responded to the scene. A search was initiated and a dive crew was in the pond with sonar units looking for the boy.

The boy fell into the pond, which ranges from three feet to 20 feet and spans about half an acre, the sheriff said.

Levier’s body was recovered from the pond a short time after the search began.

The teen was with a group of friends at the time of the fatal accident. The sheriff said deputies are questioning the teen’s friends to rule out foul play.

Meanwhile, the horse Levier was riding took off after the incident and was later spotted running across Highway 93.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a Florida man was mauled by an alligator after he fell off his bicycle at a local park on Monday, July 19.

The man reportedly fell off his bike near the Halpatiokee Regional Park in Stuart, located along the 8300 block of Southwest Lost River Road outside West Palm Beach before being suddenly attacked by the angry reptile.

The victim, who has not been named, was airlifted to the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

John Davidson, an Alligator trapper, was called in and the 8 to 10-foot female alligator was later captured alive at the park. Another alligator was also captured from the area.

Davidson said the alligator did not flee the scene of the incident indicating that her nest was nearby,

It was concluded that the bicyclist fell off his bike while taking a sharp turn and fell onto the alligator who was in nearby water. Davidson said the alligator bit the man "two or three times".