Officials advise caution as family plans funeral for drowning victim

The drowning death of a 17-year-old Bellbrook boy has left his family wondering why their loved one had to die.

Inez Coles said she’s been at a loss for words since rescue crews started searching for her son, D’James Moore, in high, rushing water in the Little Miami River in Sugarcreek Twp. on Tuesday night.

“All I can think to ask is ‘why,’” she said Thursday. “Everyone has their day, but there’s no one here who can answer me.”

The search for Moore’s body began Tuesday around 7:50 p.m. and was found around 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The teen had been with friends at a local rope swing spot along the river on Tuesday when he went under, according to Sugarcreek Twp. police. The water in the river was high and the current stronger and faster than usual because of recent heavy rain, authorities said.

Officials are warning people to be cautious around waterways this weekend because of potential flooding leading to similar conditions from rain expected today from Tropical Depression Cindy.

Capt. Ken Collier of the Sugarcreek Police Department said people should use their best judgment if they plan to go swimming in area waterways this weekend.

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“I mean the currents are a big thing,” Collier said. “A lot of the debris that gets caught up underneath those rivers. You know those things get washed down off the shores, trees fall in, things that you cannot see; those are a lot of the biggest hazards that people have.”

Moore’s family is in the process of raising money for his funeral, which they hope to have arranged for Friday, June 30.

RELATED: Bellbrook drowning victim, 17, was happy, fun person, aunt says

Michela Saunders, Moore’s cousin, said the family and the Bellbrook community have been rallying around Coles.

“The community has gathered around us, this is a great place for this to have happened,” Saunders said. “Because his mom has had a lot of support from a lot of people who don’t even know her first name.”

MORE: Mother describes tragic account of 2-year-old’s drowning

Coles said administrators from Bellbrook High School, friends of Moore and neighbors she’s never met were all present Wednesday to offer support during the search.

Moore was a student at Bellbrook High School for his sophomore year, and had been attending Mound Street Academies, a Dayton-based charter school serving over over 20 school districts, according to the school’s website. Moore was entering his senior year at the school.

Moore had plans to go to college, his mother said. His sights were set on becoming a medical doctor so that he could help people, she said.

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“He was just always trying to help people,” Coles said. “That’s the kind of kid he was.”

Eugene Turner, another of Moore’s cousins, said what they’ll remember most about the teen was his “perfect smile” which he said could brighten anyone’s day.

“It didn’t matter what was going on or how angry he was,” Turner said. “Once you saw his smile, you knew everything was going to be OK.”

Moore’s smile was the last thing Coles saw from her second-oldest child, something she said she will always remember.

“He seemed happy,” his mother said. “And that makes me happy.”

Sugarcreek Twp. Fire Chief Jeff Leaming said Moore’s body was found about 15 to 20 yards from where he was last seen in 12 to 13 feet of rushing water.

Moore was with a group of at least 15 friends near the river, when he entered to retrieve his backpack, officials said.

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The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office is conducting an autopsy on Moore. Greene County officials, however, will release the results and said Thursday it will be weeks before an official cause of death can be determined.

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