BOERNE, Texas – A San Antonio mother is demanding answers after her 13-year-old son drowned Sunday at Boerne City Lake.
Mia Robinson said her son, Jaylen, told her he was going for a swim, but he never mentioned he was leaving the city and going to a lake.
“He gave me a hug, and he said... ‘Bye mom, I love you. I’m going swimming,’” Mia Robinson said. “And that was just the last time I heard from him.”
Jaylen went to the lake with their neighbors.
Robinson was candid about her son’s ability to swim.
“He doesn’t even really know how to swim,” Robinson said. “He doesn’t, really. He’s scared of water, really.”
If she had known the group was heading to the lake, Robinson said she would have put a stop to it.
What happened at the lake
According to Boerne fire officials, Jaylen’s body was recovered 20 feet from shore in water roughly 12 to 15 feet deep Monday morning.
A neighbor, who spoke off camera to KSAT, said they took Jaylen to the lake.
The neighbor’s 11-year-old son was skipping rocks with Jaylen near a drop-off when Jaylen ended up in deep water and began to struggle.
The 11-year-old jumped in to help, and both boys began to drown, the neighbor said.
The father of the 11-year-old said he ran toward the boys, who screamed for help.
When the father reached them, he threw his son closer to shore. When the father turned around, Jaylen was nowhere in sight.
‘Nobody tried to help’
Robinson said she is heartbroken not only by the loss of her son, but by the idea that bystanders may have done nothing.
“I just want to know why everybody just watched and nobody tried to help,” Robinson said. “Because my child: he always wanted to help everybody else. He always would put his self in jeopardy and try to protect everybody else. But nobody (was) there to help my son.”
Robinson also raised concerns about safety conditions at the lake.
“I feel like if you don’t have the safety equipment at lakes, I don’t feel like people should be swimming there,” Robinson said.
Franco Guerrero, the organizer of Guardian Search and Rescue, jumped in to assist in the search for Jaylen Sunday night and Monday morning.
Guerrero encourages people to always put safety first.
“Instead of thinking about what you’re going to be wearing — what you are going to be eating and drinking — think about life vests,” Guerrero said.
Boerne officials said they are conducting internal reviews and working closely with Texas Parks and Wildlife to review lake operations and safety plans.
City officials said life jackets are highly encouraged for anyone entering the water, regardless of age and experience swimming.
Read also: