The reflection ceremony at Jordan Lake was organized by Angela West and her husband Kevin. They lost their son Kristoffer last summer.
"The lake is calm, and I see why people come out here. It's beautiful," Angela said, "but, there's a lot of unforeseen things on the lake. There are currents. We know there are things in the lake, and we can have medical emergencies."
She said she's planning to make this an annual event but hopes she doesn't need to.
But, later the same day, multiple agencies, including the Wake County Sheriff's Office, recovered a body from Neuse River just before 9 p.m. after a five-hour search.
WATCH | Swimmer's body recovered from Neuse River; deputies
Swimmer's body recovered from Neuse River; deputies
According to authorities, a man was spending time with his family and went swimming. He then went underwater and never resurfaced.
His identity has not been released.
Just two weeks before, crews recovered another man's body who went underwater in the same area and never came back up.
Swimming Safety Tips
- Know your ability
- Swim only in designated areas
- Use the buddy system
- Always swim with a buddy
- Have adult supervision for children
- Pay close attention to children
- Enter the water feet first
- When available, swim at beaches patrolled by lifeguards