By Bonnie Culverhouse

Two North Webster High School football players reportedly drowned Sunday around 4 p.m. in a creek in Claiborne Parish.

Tavious Tate and Donald Owens, both 16 years old and of Springhill, were pronounced dead at the scene after a dive team recovered their bodies.

According to Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker, five teenagers jumped into a creek off Flat Lick Road, just over the Claiborne Parish Line off Hwy. 2. Only three surfaced.

“It’s a known little swimming hole,” Parker said. “From what I understand, it’s fairly deep – around 14 to 16 feet – but it’s not a very big area, maybe 10 by 10.”

Claiborne Parish Sheriff Sam Dowies reports that parish coroner Mark Haynes pronounced the boys deceased around 6 p.m. Their bodies have been sent to Little Rock, Ark., for autopsy.

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