11-year-old Rogers boy will be ‘greatly missed’

Youth died after getting tangled in underwater brush in Oklahoma river

A Rogers boy who died after being pulled from the Illinois River over the holiday weekend will be “greatly missed,” according to his school principal.

Jayden R. Wisrock, 11, was swimming in the Illinois River with family and friends about 2 miles northeast of Tahlequah, Okla., on Sunday when he got tangled in underwater brush and went underwater, said Ed Fite, spokesman for the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission.

Members of the Illinois River Area Volunteer Fire Department got Jayden out of the brush and pulled him from the water about 12:30 p.m. Sunday near Sparrow Hawk Camp, Fite said.

Jayden was taken to Tahlequah City Hospital. He was flown later that afternoon to The Children’s Hospital at St. Francis in Tulsa, Okla. He was pronounced dead in the intensive care unit about 10 p.m. Monday.

Jayden was a fifth- grader at Tillery Elementary School this past year, Rogers School District officials confirmed. Katie Mays, Tillery principal, called Jayden’s death “incredibly saddening” in statement Wednesday.

“Jayden will be greatly missed,” Mays wrote.

“He was well liked by his peers and had a kind heart. His classmates and teachers enjoyed their time spent with Jayden here at Tillery.

“Our hearts go out to his family’s loss, and Jayden will always hold a special place in the hearts and halls of Tillery Elementary.”

Fite said the water depth was about 7 feet Sunday, about 2 feet higher than the average level. The Illinois River’s water flow was 2,100 cubic feet per second, nearly three times the average flow of 800 cubic feet per second, he said.

Witnesses told authorities the boy wasn’t wearing a life jacket, according to the commission.