An hour after being reported missing, a high school student and Prom King were discovered dead in Appanoose County, Ioha, earlier this summer.
Reports state that on June 26, 2024, while swimming, Ayden Beeson, then 17 years old, vanished beneath the water’s surface and did not rise again.
In an instant press statement, the Appanoose County Sheriff stated that they had received a 911 call regarding a potential drowning at Rathbun Lake. Although the Appanoose County Water Rescue team and the County Sheriff’s Office collaborated to try and find Ayden, the tragic tale came to an awful conclusion.
The Water Rescue team reportedly found the teen’s body in 15 to 20 feet of water. At the scene, Ayden was pronounced deceased.
The fact that the 17-year-old was well-liked in the Centerville School District only served to exacerbate the tragedy. Ayden was a standout player on the football field and a skilled tennis player. Before his spring graduation, he was chosen Prom King.
“Such a great kid being lost in the prime of his life is just devastating for our community, for the family and for the lives he was going to impact… He was nice to everybody. He was a really popular kid that everybody liked There wasn’t a single person in that school that he felt he couldn’t be nice to and kind to,” said Superintendent Mark Taylor.
Being Ayden Beeson’s coach was an honor. Ayden became the lone Big Red Tennis player because he didn’t fear working hard.
The Centerville Community Schools posted a statement on their Facebook page the day following his death, expressing their “deepest sadness” upon learning of one of their kids’ deaths.
The district mentioned that Ayden participated actively in his school community and that teachers and students knew him for his “genuine kindness.”