21st Birthday Swim Ends in Tragedy

It was supposed to have been a birthday feat, but it turned into tragedy instead. Authorities near Oroville, Calif., say a man celebrating his 21st birthday drowned while trying to swim across a pond in a wildlife area with a 10-pound rock, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Friends were watching as Austin Harr went under; they summoned help and tried to find him when he failed to surface after several minutes. Authorities in Butte County found his body within an hour but were unable to resuscitate him. They suspect alcohol played a role in the death. (More birthday stories.)