A University of Georgia graduate died after leaping from a towering cliff into an Alabama lake during a graduation trip with his friends.
Jayden Barreto, 24, vanished underwater when he jumped from Chimney Rock into Lake Martin — roughly 40 miles outside of Montgomery — on Wednesday, according to investigators.
“Jayden jumped off the rock, and witnesses told us he never came back up,” Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin told the Montgomery Advertiser.
Barreto, of Columbus, Ga., had been celebrating his graduation with friends at the popular lake spot, which is described as a “must-do jump for the adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers,” according to the lake’s website.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene after reports that a man had disappeared. Dive teams searched for hours before recovering Barreto’s body around 9:45 p.m., officials said.
Divers found him on an underwater shelf roughly 50 feet below the surface. Authorities said the lake plunges at least another 70 feet beyond the drop-off.
“The jump from Chimney Rock is like hitting a sheet of glass from 60 feet up,” Franklin told the newspaper. “It all depends on how your body hits the water.”
“We have nothing that points to this being anything but a tragic accident, where the young man drowned,” the sheriff added. “But we are conducting an investigation.”
Barreto’s body was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to determine his cause of death.
Montgomery Fire Rescue said six divers took part in the search under “challenging conditions.”
“Crews worked alongside multiple partner agencies in a coordinated and extended search effort,” the department said in a Facebook post.
“Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The University of Georgia confirmed Barreto graduated in 2025 with degrees in management information systems and psychology, according to WSB-TV.
Friends remembered Barreto as kind and well-liked in tributes posted online after his death.
“Jayden was a pure light in this world. He was truly loved by everyone and will be missed,” one friend wrote.
“My prayers and condolences go out to the Barreto family,” another said. “My heart is heavy; Jayden was a great person, classmate, and friend.”
“Jayden was an immediate friend and my experience at college was made all the better because of knowing him,” a third friend added.
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