Family Mourns Loss Of Teen Swept Away In Haulover Inlet

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

HAULOVER BEACH (CBSMiami) – A body pulled from the Haulover Inlet was positively identified as that of 18-year-old Darrius Rhome on Thursday.

Valencia Dixon can't even get the words out. She was trying to talk about how her son Darrius just wanted to go to college. That's a dream that will never come true.

On Wednesday, Darrius and a cousin jumped into the Haulover Inlet and Darrius was swept away.

"One quickly got out the other one seemed to have gotten caught in the rip current here and disappeared pretty quickly under the water," said witness Diana Fabrega.

His family was at the scene holding out hope he'd be found alive.

Hours later, his lifeless body was discovered.

"He was a child that you could always depend on. He was always helpful and good," said his grandmother Dessie Dixon.

She said he was a great teen with a bright future.

"He wasn't in trouble. He wasn't a troubled child. He was 18 and wasn't in trouble all those years. He was looking forward to graduation and going to college," said Dixon.

Darrius was a student at Miami Carol Senior High and an avid baseball player. His dream was to make it big one day and use his baseball talents to continue his education.

"That's all he wanted to do -- go to college and play baseball," said Dixon.