Police: 15-Year-Old Jumped In Schuylkill River To Save Best Friend, 2 Bodies Recovered

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police say authorities have found two bodies in the Schuylkill River near where two teens jumped in and never resurfaced Wednesday night. Police have not yet identified the bodies.

The search began when two teenage boys were seen going into the Schuylkill River and never resurfaced Wednesday evening. Police are looking for a 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy who entered the river at 56th Street and Eastwick Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia around 7:15 p.m.

Police say three boys from the neighborhood went down to the river at Bartram's Garden to cool off Wednesday night when the 14-year-old boy jumped into the river.

However, he had difficulty swimming so the 15-year-old jumped in after him to help, but neither boy resurfaced.

Family has identified the 15-year-old as Quadir Beverly.

"My daughter called me screaming. I didn't know what she was saying then the police took the phone and told me where to come to," said Annette Lawrence, Quadir's grandmother.

Lawrence says Quadir's act of bravery does not surprise her.

"He's the type of kid who takes care of his brothers and sisters. He has one brother he's really close to who is blind and he takes them out and watches them play. He's that type of person that cares for people," Lawrence said. "So when he seen his best friend fall in, he would be the type that would jump in, thinking he could save him. Unfortunately, the current took them both."

Chopper 3 was over the scene as rescue crews searched for the boys Wednesday night.

Police say boys' families are on scene.

"The Schuylkill looks like a very lazy river but it isn't. There's a definite undertow in the Schuylkill River and they jumped off an area where it's not permissible to swim. But they were young boys trying to have some fun, trying to cool off on a hot summer day, I kinda understand that," Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers said. "It's tragic right now, but it's still in an active rescue mission and we're not going to stop until we find the boys."