Around 8:30 AM Thursday, Wayne County EMS personnel were dispatched to the 200 block of Ramblewood Drive in Mount Olive.  The call was concerning a possible drowning.  The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office was also dispatched to assist EMS personnel.  Upon arrival at the residence, EMS and sheriff’s office personnel found two individuals performing CPR on a 17-year-old white male juvenile.  CPR was continued by first responders, but unfortunately the juvenile did not survive.

Investigation of this incident revealed that the juvenile was operating a riding lawn mower at this location next to a pond.  Apparently, due to the incline of the ground next to the pond, the lawn mower lost traction and slid into the pond, overturning onto the operator.  Other individuals at this location noticed they no longer heard the lawn mower and when they went to find out why the lawn mower had quit, they saw it in the pond upside down.  These individuals entered the pond and raised the lawn mower enough to get the victim out from under it and place him on land.  They then started CPR and continued it until EMS and sheriff’s personnel arrived to assist.