Former high school wrestling star, 19, is killed after losing control of jet ski and crashing it into tree in collision that also injured his friend, 22
- Daegen Vaughn and Mason Sterner were riding a jet ski Saturday night in Lake Weiss, Alabama, when Vaughn lost control and crashed into a tree
- Vaughn was died at the scene, while Sterner was transported to a hospital
- Vaughn, a resident of Summerville, Georgia, was as a standout high school wrestler and a ‘fine young man’
One young man died and another person was injured during a jet ski crash on an Alabama lake over the weekend after the vehicle went on land and smashed into a tree, according to officials.
Daegen Vaughn, 19, and Mason Sterner, 22, were riding a jet ski on Weiss Lake in Alabama on Saturday night when the 2021 Yamaha WaveRunner ran aground and crashed into a tree, authorities said.
Vaughn, who was driving the jet ski, was declared dead at the scene and Sterner was taken to a Georgia hospital with injuries.
Police have not said what led to the crash.
Daegen Vaughn, 19, was killed in a jet ski crash on Saturday night while riding on Weiss Lake in Alabama. His mom shared a picture taken hours before the wreck in a social media tribute
Vaughn evidently lost control of his jet ski and crashed into a tree. His friend, Mason Sterner, was also injured
The teenager was a recent graduate of Trion High School in Georgia and remembered as a ‘star’ wrestler and football player.
Vaughn won more than 100 matches during his high school wrestling career, making him a statewide ‘standout,’ according to AllOnGeorgia. In 2019, his team placed second at the state championships.
In a Facebook post from a neighboring high school, Vaughn was described as ‘such a fine young man.’
‘He was a team player who did whatever was asked of him and he always supported his teammates!!! Proud to have had the opportunity to coach Dago.’
One of Vaughn’s high school teachers, Rhonda Williams, wrote on social media that Vaughn had helped her have ‘one of my all time favorite school years’ when he was in her English class.
‘I am so saddened by this loss but so happy for the memories I have of this precious young man,’ she wrote.
The crash occurred on Weiss Lake in Alabama at around 10.30pm Saturday night and police continue to investigate
Lake Weiss is about four hours away from Summerville, Georgia, where both young men lived
Vaughn recently graduated from a Georgia high school where he was hailed as a standout wrestler and football player
Vaughn’s grieving mother, Taylen Vaughn, shared a picture of her late son taken just hours before the fatal accident and wrote: ‘If I could go back I would hold you tight and never would (have) let you go.’
‘I love you so much baby boy. My life will never be the same without you in it.’
The crash remains under investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Both young men involved in the crash were residents of Summerville, Georgia, located about 90 miles northwest of Atlanta.
