'He was my best friend:' Family seeks answers in Columbus middle schooler's death

Cole Behrens, The Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·3 min read
Brian Loomis, 13, left, with his father, Mike Walp, 39, in a recent photo of the two. Loomis died last week after an apparent drowning in Big Darby Creek near Grove City.
Brian Loomis, 13, left, with his father, Mike Walp, 39, in a recent photo of the two. Loomis died last week after an apparent drowning in Big Darby Creek near Grove City.

Loved ones of a Columbus City Schools middle schooler are seeking answers in his apparent drowning death last week in Big Darby Creek near Grove City.

Brian Loomis, 13, a Dominion Middle School student, died last Friday, two days after being discovered in the waters of Big Darby Creek in Darbydale, an unincorporated community near Grove City, family members told The Dispatch.

Loomis was with friends May 31 near Trapper John's Canoe Livery along Big Darby, his father, Mike Walp, said on Tuesday at Newcomer Funeral Home on the Northside. Brian had improved his grades ahead of graduation to high school, and his father let him go with his friends to his mother's house near Grove City.

Franklin County Sheriff's Capt. Charles Williamson said medics responded around 4:10 p.m. on May 31 to Big Darby Creek in Darbydale. Loomis was taken to OhioHealth Doctors Hospital West and was later transported to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where he died on June 2.

Walp, 39, of Columbus, said his son and his friends apparently went to Darby Creek near the canoe livery, where he was later discovered face down.

"I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't do much of anything right now," Walp said. "He was my ride-or-die partner. He was my best friend."

Family members told The Dispatch that Loomis couldn't swim and was afraid of water, so they did not understand why he went there and why his friends didn't do anything to try and save him. His friends told the family that they called 911 after Loomis fell in the water and didn't come back out.

Deborah Smith, left, is comforted by her husband, Dale Smith, while speaking about the death of their grandson, 13-year-old Brian Loomis, at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals and Receptions in Columbus.
Deborah Smith, left, is comforted by her husband, Dale Smith, while speaking about the death of their grandson, 13-year-old Brian Loomis, at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals and Receptions in Columbus.

His grandmother, Deborah Smith, 53, said the family wants answers about his death.

"We just want to find out the truth. Hopefully we can find it," Smith said.

Williamson declined to comment on the circumstances of the drowning, saying it was an active investigation. The Franklin County Coroner's office has not completed an autopsy yet.

Family remembers Loomis as witty, loved sports and music

Smith said Loomis was a "jokester" who was always brightening people's days.

"He was a goofball," Smith said.

His mother, Heather Loomis, 33, said Brian was kind to everyone and would always cheer people up when they were sad. Loomis was the eldest of four siblings.

A photograph of Brian Loomis and his father, Mike Walp, is seen as Loomis' grandmother, Deborah Smith, lays out photographs on a table at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals and Receptions in Columbus on June 6.
A photograph of Brian Loomis and his father, Mike Walp, is seen as Loomis' grandmother, Deborah Smith, lays out photographs on a table at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals and Receptions in Columbus on June 6.

"He would always help anybody," Heather Loomis said. "He was a good big brother."

Walp said Brian loved football and basketball and was excited for the football team at Whetstone High School. He also enjoyed rap music and helping his family members out with work. He said that while he would sometimes receive bad grades or get in trouble at school, he was always motivated to make it up.

Friends of Loomis' family have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his funeral expenses, which has raised over $5,000.

District says Loomis 'bright and promising' young student

In a letter to families of the school, Dominion Middle School Principal Dorothy Flanagan said Loomis will be remembered as a "bright and promising student."

"His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knows him," Flanagan said. "Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family during this difficult time."

In a statement, a district spokesperson also expressed condolences to Loomis' loved ones.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Family seeking answers in CCS middle schooler's drowning death