University of Georgia graduate Jayden Barreto, 24, died after jumping from Chimney Rock into Lake Martin, authorities said
Credit: Montgomery Rescue/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Authorities in Alabama have identified the man who died after jumping into a lake
- Jayden Barreto, 24, died after jumping from Chimney Rock into Lake Martin, located outside of Montgomery, Ala., while celebrating his college graduation with friends
- Dive teams located Barreto’s body 50 feet below the surface after an extensive search involving multiple agencies
Authorities in Alabama have identified the young man who died after jumping into a lake as a 24-year-old Georgia college graduate.
On Thursday, May 14, Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin confirmed to local outlets, including AL.com, 11Alive and the Montgomery Advertiser that Jayden Barreto of Columbus, Ga., died after jumping from Chimney Rock into Lake Martin, located about 40 miles outside Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday.
The sheriff said that Barreto and a group of friends were celebrating their college graduation at the lake when he jumped from Chimney Rock. Montgomery Fire Rescue was called to the scene after Barreto did not surface.
Credit: Montgomery Rescue/Facebook
By 9:45 p.m. local time that evening, dive teams had located Barreto's body on a "shelf" 50 feet below the water surface. The sheriff said that the water underneath the rock was about 150 feet deep.
"Crews worked alongside multiple partner agencies in a coordinated and extended search effort under challenging conditions," Montgomery Fire Rescue said in a statement. "Montgomery Fire Rescue deployed six divers to conduct systematic search operations. After several hours in the water, the missing individual was located."
According to Franklin, the jump off of Chimney Rock can be like "hitting a sheet of glass from 60 feet up" if a person hits the water incorrectly, adding that it "all depends on how your body hits the water."
"Jayden jumped off the rock, and witnesses told us he never came back up," the sheriff told the Advertiser.
"We have nothing that points to this being anything but a tragic accident, where the young man drowned," Franklin added. "But we are conducting an investigation."
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Barreto graduated from the University of Georgia in 2025, the school confirmed to WSB-TV. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems and a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Many of the college grad's friends shared their condolences with his family members in comments underneath his obituary.
"Jayden was a pure light in this world. He was truly loved by everyone and will be missed. I am so sorry for his family’s loss," one friend wrote.
"My prayers and condolences go out to the Barreto family," another added. "My heart is heavy; Jayden was a great person, classmate, and friend."
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