A picnic turned to tragedy Thursday when a 19-year-oldHazlehurst man apparently drowned in a Lincoln County pool.

Kevin Goods, 19, of 229 Jackson Street, Hazlehurst, waspronounced dead at King’s Daughters Medical Center at 12:10 p.m. byLincoln County Coroner-Medical Examiner Morris Henderson. Theapparent cause of death was drowning, but an autopsy will beperformed to verify that, said Lincoln County Coroner-MedicalExaminer Morris Henderson.

Goods was transported to KDMC after being pulled from a pool atThe Rays, an outdoors getaway on Highway 51 south, around 10:35a.m.

He was at The Rays with his aunt, Clarice Goods, and a cousin,Curtis Goods, participating in a Mississippi Jobs Corps Centerstaff-family picnic. Goods was a guest of his aunt, who is anemployee at the training center, which helps disadvantagedteenagers complete their high school education or find a job.

“He and his cousin jumped into the deep end of the pool and wereplaying around, then Kevin went under,” said Lincoln County SheriffLynn Boyte, while reviewing the investigation report.

Earlier, Goods had swam to the bottom several times whileplaying with his cousin, but this time he did not immediatelyreturn to the surface, said Beverly Ray, co-owner of thefacility.

According to witnesses and the investigation report, thelifeguard noticed Goods cease arm movement, so she jumped in andbrought him to the top.

“She got him out and performed CPR for two or three minutes, andthere were two nurses here who relieved her then,” said Ray.

The nurses continued trying to revive Goods until the ambulancearrived and paramedics took over. Paramedics noted that CPR hadbeen performed correctly, but they were still unable to find asteady pulse, she added.

“A life was lost, and we are devastated,” said Ray. “Fourteenyears and thousands of people being out here, and this is the veryfirst death we’ve ever had, so it’s been hard on us.”