The body of a cross country athlete from Putnam City West was recovered from Lake Overholser on Thursday, authorities said.

Authorities with the Oklahoma City Fire Department said Phillip Jones, 17, died when he and six other runners from the school were working out in northwest Oklahoma City, and they came across high water adjacent to Lake Overholser. Several of the teens tried to run or wade through high water, but Jones was pulled in because of a drop-off.



Fire rescuers got to the scene soon after, but officials said the current was so strong that they considered abandoning the effort, choosing instead to skim the top of the water looking for the teen. After a couple of hours, fire officials officially transitioned from a rescue effort to a recovery effort.

The search was called off for the night after six hours, officials said. However, it was resumed on Thursday, and crews pulled his body from the lake at about 4:40 p.m.