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Teen's Body Pulled From Hollywood Canal

HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) – Hollywood Police divers recovered the body of a missing 17-year-old.

Jhaqcari Thompson disappeared while swimming with friends across a canal behind a shopping plaza on Oakwood Boulevard. Joel Medina with Hollywood Fire Rescue said the teens swam across the canal to a rope swing on the other side.

"On their way back from the rope swing one of them started experiencing a little bit of trouble," said Medina.

Medina said the canal is 80 to 100 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Thompson was about halfway across when he went under and didn't come up.

"It's possible for you to go into this canal at slack tide and it be an easy swim across and then you're in there a little while and if you catch it when the tide's going the wrong way all the sudden the conditions when you went in aren't the same conditions coming back out," explained Medina.

Divers found Thompson's body about three hours after he disappeared.

"It's a very sad and tragic event. It started out with a bunch of kids having fun, and I'm sure this is a moment that will change their psyche and perception of things moving forward. My heart goes out to them and the family, it's heartbreaking," said Medina.

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