Fmr. Lower Richland basketball player drowns in Lake Wylie

YORK COUNTY, SC (WIS) - A former Lower Richland High School basketball player and track star drowned early Monday morning in Lake Wylie, according to the York County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said 19-year-old Jeremiah Tate's body was found around 4 a.m. in the lake by rescue divers.

Tate and another YMCA Camp Thunderbird counselor jumped off the Buster Boyd Bridge around 2 a.m. Tate did not come back to the surface, officials say.

Fire and rescue crews were called shortly after the incident and located Tate's body two hours later. Witnesses say Tate couldn't swim but the other counselor said he didn't know Tate couldn't swim.

Officials haven't released any possible contributing factors or said if there will be any charges. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Monday afternoon.

Tate was a junior at Wofford College and a member of the men's basketball team. He made an appearance for the Terriers in the 2014 NCAA Tournament against Michigan.

He was an accounting major, a Bonner Scholar, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Pre-Law Society. He had served on Campus Union. He recently was one of 251 nominees for the Allstate Good Works Team.

"The entire Wofford College family is devastated and saddened today by the loss of Jeremiah Tate," Director of Athletics Richard Johnson said. "Jeremiah was such a dedicated, loved and respected member of the men's basketball team. He had a wonderful personality and had many friends on campus extending outside of the athletic department. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with his family. He will truly be missed."

Jeremiah was the son of Frank and Carole Tate of Columbia.

Jeremiah was a graduate of Lower Richland High School, where he was president of the student body and a member of the National Honor Society. In high school, he played basketball for three years and was named an Academic All-Star. He also ran the hurdles in track, earning All-Region and All-District honors. He was All-Region and All-District in cross country as well.

Copyright 2015 WIS. All rights reserved. WBTV contributed tot his report.