AUSTIN, TEXAS: Kaden Forke, 14, tragically died on Monday, August 14, just days before his anticipated start as a freshman at Lake Travis High School.
The young boy's body was recovered from Lake Austin subsequent to a devastating boat crash, per the Daily Mail.
Who was Kaden Forke?
Forke was a student of Hudson Bend Middle School and was actively engaged in the audio visual production/broadcast program. He had studied at the Lake Travis Elementary.
In a heartfelt statement, the head of the said elementary school expressed the deep sorrow felt by the school community due to Forke's death. He was fondly referred to as an "LT Lifer" due to his longstanding association with the institution.
How Kaden Forke die?
Forke was aboard a boat accompanied by six others when the vessel lost control while navigating over the wake generated by another boat and crashing into the bank.
Four others sustained serious injuries while Forke died on the scene.
During a press conference on Monday, Captain Darren Noak of Austin-Travis County EMS emphasized the challenges posed by the lake's narrow configuration.
He stated, "With a lake that is as narrow as it is, it gets very crowded very fast. You get a lot of cross currents and a lot of cross wakes, so if you're just ploughing down the lake as fast as your boat will go, you could have an accident."
He added, "Even if you are going slow, you can have an accident."
James Wood, an eyewitness, recounted the incident to Fox 7. He said, "It looked like a large cypress tree had been cut about in half at the thickest part, and the boat was suspended above it in its branches."
Wood added, "The wreck had just happened and there was already a dive team which told me that someone was probably missing or underwater."
Forke's mother, Jennifer, is currently employed as a monitor at LTE. To assist with funeral and memorial expenses, a GoFundMe campaign was launched, and it has garnered nearly $30,000 as of Friday, August 18.
