2 Brainerd High Students Identified As Victims In Drop From High Tennessee River Bridge

  • Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Mykel Anderson
Mykel Anderson
The teens who drowned after jumping from an I-75 bridge have been identified as two Brainerd High School students. The incident happened in Loudon County after a police pursuit last Wednesday morning.

One of the teens was identified as Ma'Rico Johnson and another as Mykel Anderson.
GoFundMe accounts have been set up for their burial expenses.

They are at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-marico-johnsons-burial-expenses
and https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-mykel-andersons-memory

One teen survived the fall of over 80 feet and was hospitalized.

Authorities said a car was stolen in Chattanooga that launched the chase.

Authorities said the trio apparently thought they were going over a wall to another part of the bridge and were not expecting the steep drop.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) law enforcement officials assisted in the recovery of the bodies.

TWRA wildlife officers and investigators joined the search on Wednesday morning.
On Friday, they located and recovered the first victim using a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV). This afternoon, Knox County Rescue identified a target, which TWRA investigators confirmed as the second victim using the ROV. Divers with Knox County Rescue and members of the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office and Loudon County Fire Department recovered the victim’s body.

TWRA offers prayers and condolences for the victim’s families.
Ma'Rico Johnson
Ma'Rico Johnson
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