North Carolina A&T community mourns as beloved senior dies while attempting to save his sister from drowning
Dorian Jackson, a third-generation Aggie who was preparing to graduate and begin a career at Wells Fargo, died after his sister’s kayak capsized in Lake Norman, just outside of Charlotte.
The North Carolina A&T family is dealing with an unspeakable tragedy.
University officials told WXII in Winston-Salem that a student, 21-year-old Dorian Jackson, died over the weekend after attempting to rescue his sister, who fell into Lake Norman during a kaykaking trip. The oldest of eight children, Jackson was set to graduate from NCA&T.
The incident occured on Saturday just after 7 p.m. local time at Hearthstone Court in Terrell, North Carolina.
“According to initial reports, Faith Jackson’s kayak had capsized, and she was struggling in the water. She was wearing a life jacket at the time. Her brother, Dorian Jackson, who was not wearing a life jacket, attempted to assist her by helping her onto his kayak,” Lt. Anna E. Barbosa said in a news release.
Neighbors were able to pull Jackson’s sister from the water and bring her to shore but could not find him. On Sunday, his body was retrieved from the water around 1 p.m.
Jackson, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, planned on becoming an entrepreneur upon graduation and wanted to use his “experience to help the community and help uplift those around him.” School officials said Jackson was a third-generation Aggie and was “set to join Wells Fargo” after he crossed the stage with his degree.
He had earned numerous honors while at NCA&T, including becoming a member of Alpha Phi Alpha through its Beta Epsilon chapter and was a leader in student government, the school’s honors college and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Program.
“Our heartfelt prayers and condolences are with his family and friends,” the university said in a statement.
Funeral arrangements are currently pending.