A brave teenage girl got swept away by a current and drowned while trying to save her cousin’s son in a West Virginia river.
Reese Hanshaw, 13, of Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, tragically lost her life on June 30 when she, a group of children, and two adults, Ashley Shelton, 29 and Joshua Lockerbie, 34, took a trip to the Ohio River.
Shelton and Lockerbie, of Weirton, drove six children, aged four to 13-year-old, to the river in We to swim that day when a strong current took over Hanshaw around 7pm.
Hanshaw desperately tried to save the little boy near the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Heavy rainfall throughout the day made the water level higher than normal, sparking dangerous conditions, the Weirton Police Department said.
Officers rushed to the scene within minutes, as one cop swam out to save Hanshaw and performed life-saving measures on her. She was then taken to the hospital where she died, Weirton Police Chief Charlie Kush said.
Following her sudden death, the teen’s aunt revealed her final heroic act just before she drowned.
‘While enjoying a summer day with her cousins, Reese heroically gave her life saving her cousin’s little boy, who was swept away by a sudden rip current,’ Becky Watlet, Hanshaw’s mother’s sister, said on Facebook.
Shelton and Lockerbie, who are in a relationship, were arrested Wednesday and charged with six felonies. It is unclear what their relationship was to Hanshaw or the other children.
Police said they chose to bring several children to the river despite high water levels. Investigators also noted no flotation devices were present.
The couple were also aware that none of the children were strong swimmers, police said.
They are both charged with child neglect resulting in death and child neglect with risk of death or injury, according to arrest records obtained by Daily Mail.
Shelton and Lockerbie are being held at the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville on a $150,000 bail each, per records.
Although boats are common in the river, people don’t often swim or go fishing in the water, especially in hazardous conditions, Kush told CBS News.
‘You have to be responsible, you have to know the limitations of the people that you’re with if you are letting juveniles do these types of things,’ he explained.
The police chief added that ‘it was just unusual’ for people to go down to that river to swim in the bad weather.
Hanshaw has been remembered as a ‘bright and creative spirit’ who had just finished the eighth grade, her obituary read.
The rising high school freshman was also ‘a proud member of the Turtle Club’ and was known for her ‘deep love for animals.’
‘A talented and imaginative soul, she enjoyed drawing, crafting, creating videos, and editing,’ the page read.
Watlet called her late niece a ‘shining light’ who was also ‘kind, courageous, and full of love.
‘Her selflessness and bravery will forever be remembered by all who knew her,’ she continued.
She went on to ask the public to help raise money for her sister and brother-in-law during this difficult time.
A GoFundMe page was created by her other aunt Heather Durbin to help raise money, and as of Sunday afternoon, more than $10,500 was collected.
‘We are so grateful for any support, kindness, and love you can share as we honor Reese’s memory,’ Watlet wrote.
Several of Hanshaw’s classmates posted heartfelt messages about her following her death.
‘Reese, I always sat with you the few days we had left of school,’ one wrote. ‘We weren’t close but you were always kind and I remember you giving me candy all the time and starting conversations with me when I had nobody to talk to on the bus.’
Another said: ‘The last remaining years of school won’t be the same without. Not seeing you in the hallways will be a big change because you made everyone laugh in the hallways. Rest in peace Reese…’
A funeral was held for Hanshaw on Tuesday in her hometown.
This is not Lockerbie’s first run-in with the law, as he was previously arrested for speeding, driving under suspension, simple assault, and theft, among other offenses, according to public records.
Daily Mail contacted the Weirton Police Department for more information.