SAN DIEGO — Friends and family of 15-year-old Anthony Womack on Friday evening held a vigil at Sunset Cliffs, the site where he took a fatal jump into the water.
Loved ones wore white shirts with Womack’s face on them to remember him. His mother was also in attendance Friday evening, but declined to speak to the media.
Womack, who reportedly did not know how to swim well, died Wednesday after jumping into the water near Pappy’s Point.
Womack's friends said they had skipped class Wednesday at Sweetwater High School and took public transportation to Sunset Cliffs. According to the teenagers, a group of them jumped into the water and made it back up, except for Womack.
San Diego Lifeguards pulled Womack from the water after searching for him for about an hour on Wednesday.
The family said they want closure, but they are trying to figure out why they were not notified that their son had left school until they learned he had died.
"This is hard. He was really good at sports, really educated, [and] wanted to learn more, too," said his uncle during a press conference on Thursday.
Womack's grandmother said he looked up to his two older sisters and wanted to attend college.
Since the tragic incident, some have called for a barrier around the unstable cliffs where people jump despite the warning signs, but Anthony's uncle, Garney Cruz, said that is not the answer.
"These kids are going to do this. There is no way to stop him," he said.
The family said they have been overwhelmed by the community response, donations, and kind words for the teen who was described as smart and full of life.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help his family pay for funeral expenses.