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One youth tried in vain to rescue Jamel, police said.
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FINAL WORDS TO A FRIEND: Unidentified youths spray paint "R.I.P JAY" on the Girard/McDonald underpass near where 12-year-old Jamel Smith of Girard drowned Monday. The young people painted the structure Wednesday. Jamel was a seventh-grader at Girard Middle School
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About 700 people attended a rally at the Warren Community Amphitheatre to hear Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden speak. The 34-year U.S. senator from Delaware spoke Tuesday morning.
One youth tried in vain to rescue Jamel, police said.
GIRARD — Family, friends, classmates and teachers are dealing with the shocking death of a pre-teen boy described as an excellent student who was free spirit and who loved football.
Jamel A. Smith, 12, of East Broadway, a seventh-grader at Girard Middle School, while swimming late Monday afternoon at the Girard/McDonald viaduct, went under the water and never came up. Rescue divers recovered his body shortly before 7 p.m.
Smith’s father, Shawn Green, less than 24 hours after the loss of his child, was standing in front of the light-colored, multistory home on Broadway Street greeting family members and friends coming to offer their condolences and support.
Green spoke of a son who was an excellent student, an athlete who did not give his parents any major problems.
He managed a smile while talking about his son, but the redness in his eyes told the truth about his feelings.
“It just hurts. Every time you see something it reminds you, you know. It just hurts,” Green said.
Girard Police Capt. Jeff Palmer said Jamel went to the viaduct with five other young people from the Girard area. He would not say who the other young people were, but only three members of the group, including Jamel, were swimming.
Palmer said it is believed that Jamel could swim, but not very well. He said the group gathered on the east side of the waterway intent on swimming to the other side before two jumped in and Jamel followed.
“One of the kids made a valiant effort to save [Jamel] and just couldn’t do it. He didn’t have the strength. He is pretty torn up about all of this,” Palmer said.
Girard Schools Superintendent Joseph Jeswald said the school district providing counseling for the children at the viaduct and also any teachers and students who may need some assistance in dealing with Jamel’s loss.
“It’s just tragic. This is not easy for anyone,” Jeswald said. “On behalf of all of our students and staff, our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Jamel and his family. However long it takes, we will have assistance available for our kids and staff.”
Jeswald said there had been a total of eight counselors on hand at the school since Tuesday morning.
Some young people have been dealing with the loss in their own way.
Early Tuesday afternoon, a group of teens could be seen standing near the viaduct where Jamel lost his life. The teens said they had come to the area to pay respects to the deceased boy.
A short time after the teens were seen near the waterway, another group of teens were seen spray painting a tribute to him on nearby viaduct walls. The painted message simply read: “R.I.P. J.”
For the family, however, no written words on a wall will be enough to overcome their grief, but they do have the nearly 13 years of memories left by Jamel.
“He was a great kid and really made us all so proud,” Green said. “He spent a lot of time with his younger brother and really helped keep the house clean. He was just a really good kid.”
Megan Mayle, 15, Jamel’s older sister, has memories of her own to look upon and smile. She remembers her brother’s love for football, having fun and, with a smile, his inability to eat anything without hot sauce on it.
jgoodwin@vindy.com