WHITNEY – Crews have the bodies of both the 11-year-old girl and her 29-year-old father who drowned late Saturday morning at Lake Whitney just feet apart from each other.
The father is identified as Benjamin Nzavi.
Since Saturday afternoon, crews were searching for the bodies of the father and daughter.
Just before noon Sunday, they located the body of Benjamin Nzavi and his daughter and bring them to shore.
Crews located their bodies near a drop-off on the bottom of the lake, just feet from one another. That is where the Hill County Sheriff’s Office believes the daughter whose identity they said will not be released – stepped off the shelf and her father tried to save her shortly after.
For many responders at the scene, it has been a difficult search. On top of low visibility in the water and brush obstructing sonar signals, many members of the rescue knew the family.
Nzavi typically spent his Sundays helping out at the Hill County Jail.
Chief Deputy Rick White said he was a minister in the jail ministry program.
“He went to church with members of the sheriff’s office and other members of this recover team,” he said. “When it’s people you know, it makes it much more difficult.”
White also said he doesn’t believe there was any hesitation by Nzavi to go after his daughter and try to save her because “that’s the kind of guy he was”.
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