Name of 12-year-old drowning victim released

UPDATE 9/26/22 @ 6:10 p.m.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Family confirms the name of a boy who drowned during the weekend in the Ohio River as Christian Weaver, a 12–year-old seventh-grader at Huntington East Middle School.

The family says his grandfather passed away the day before (Friday) from health issues.

Weaver’s grandmother says Christian was extremely lovable and enjoyed giving hugs.

She says he loved riding his bike, playing outdoors, had lots of friends and never knew a stranger.

A memorial service is taking place Monday evening outside his home in Guyandotte.

The grandmother says it’s heartbreaking to lose two loved ones back to back, but she said, “We’ll get through it.”

ORIGINAL STORY

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Cabell County Schools Director of Communications, Jedd Flowers, confirms Monday a young boy who drowned Saturday while swimming in the Ohio River was a student of the Cabell County Schools system.

First responders recovered the 12-year-old boy’s body Saturday evening.

Huntington Fire Chief Greg Fuller told WSAZ the boy was believed to be swimming near the shoreline of the Ohio River.

The boy’s body was taken to the state Medical Examiner’s Office.

First responders conducted a nearly two-hour search on Saturday of the Ohio River near the East-Huntington bridge.

The boy’s identity has not been released.

Flowers told WSAZ.com while leaders are not disclosing where the student attended school, he says counselors are on-site Monday for grief counseling.

Further information has not been released.

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