A former student of Blairsville High School drowned last night in an incident in Erie County.
State police in Erie confirmed that 19-year-old Orahnde M. Askew of Blairsville accidentally drowned at a pond located inside the Sparrow Family Campground in Waterford. Initial reports from state troopers say that Askew was swimming in the pond around 8:00 PM when he became “distressed” and went under water. People there did try to help get him out of the water, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Local dive teams were able to recover him in the same area of the pond where he went under.
Orahnde was a student at the Blairsville High School, and was a member of the high school football team all three years, playing multiple positions through his high school career. Last year, he attended IUP.
The investigation is continuing.
