Release from JJHuddle and NBC4:
Hilliard Davidson junior and standout running back Ricardo Butler Jr., drowned Tuesday night while swimming with friends at a quarry in northwest Columbus near Dublin and Trabue roads around 6:45 p.m.
Acording to NBC4, Butler and two of his friends jumped into the water and started swimming. His friends said when they looked back, Butler had disappeared. Butler's friends got out of the water and tried calling for Butler; they thought he was hiding and playing a joke on them. His friends called 911 when they realized something was wrong.
Columbus fire's DART (dive and rescue team) responded and started to search the area and the quarry.
Butler was not found.
Columbus police's dive team decided to attempt to locate Butler during the nighttime hours versus waiting for daylight, believing it was in Butler's best interest and that of his family.
After an hours-long search, Butler's body was recovered from the quarry, and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:22 p.m.
Dozens of friends and Hilliard students showed up at the quarry during the search and rescue attempt.
Butler was a standout running back for Hilliard Davidson, which is the reigning Division I state champion. Butler scored the first touchdown for the Wildcats in the D-I final against Glenville.
"He was a great kid. Umm … I think it's indicative of how many students are here right now. Umm … with nothing to do but sit along the road here. He definitely had a lot of friends and was popular in the school," Wildcats Coach Brian White told NBC4.
Said friend Cody Evans: “He always was energetic. He had a lot of drive … you know. He wanted to do something, he did it.”
Butler was regarded one of the Top 10 running back prospects in Ohio, and was named to the JJHuddle and Ohio High Top 200 (seniors-to-be) on Monday.
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