Here's what the sheriff's investigation into Cesar Chavez football player's drowning found
The Navajo County Sheriff's Office's investigation into the death of 15-year-old Christopher Hampton at a football camp over the summer found that no one noticed the Cesar Chavez High School student was missing until after the team had left Show Low Lake, where Christopher was found dead the next day.
Christopher was attending a football camp at Blue Ridge High School in Lakeside with the Cesar Chavez football team. He was found dead in Show Low Lake on July 18 after going missing the day before. The Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death an accidental drowning.
According to the report from the Navajo County Sheriff's Office, 41 players and about six coaches went to Show Low Lake for about 45 minutes at around 6:20 pm on July 17, the first day of the football camp. They had practiced in the afternoon.
The trip to the lake was for recreational purposes.
One of the players, whose name was redacted in the report, told police Christopher was "doggy paddling" when they swam out to a buoy together.
The player said both he and Christopher were exhausted and held onto the buoy to rest. He did not know how deep the water was, but he could not touch the bottom.
The player said Christopher appeared to be struggling to rest on the buoy. The other player left to swim back to shore, and Christopher told him he would swim back in a minute.
No one saw Christopher after that. The coaches said they did not see anyone struggling in the water.
The junior varsity football coach estimated the buoy to be about 50 yards away from the dock, where some players were jumping from and swimming around. Only about five or six kids did not go in the water.
Team, coaches left the lake without realizing Christopher was missing
Christopher's coaches and teammates didn't realize he was missing until they got back to Blue Ridge High School, where the team was staying for the camp. The team used buses and vans to get to and from the lake.
They began searching for Christopher before ultimately calling the Show Low Police Department for help. The Police Department's search began about 8:19 p.m., about an hour after the team had left the lake.
William Chipley, the Cesar Chavez varsity football coach, told police that after the group got to Show Low Lake, he left to get frozen pops and drinks. Once he returned, he said he called down to the other coaches to bring the players to the vehicles.
According to the report, at least two coaches, including Chipley, knew that Christopher did not know how to swim. Chipley told police that the kids did not have to get in the water if they did not want to, and that he wasn't sure why Christopher went into the water.
Tonisha Johnson, Christopher's mom, told police that she always put on Christopher's paperwork that he did not know how to swim.
Jerry Chavez, the Blue Ridge Unified School District's athletic director, told investigators he had heard the team was going to go to a lake, and that he told the coaches he did not want the team to be swimming.
Chavez said the coaches told him they just wanted to go up to their knees in the water and splash their feet. He told police he thought they were going to a campsite near the lake.
Johnson found out that her son was missing on the night of July 17 through one of his teammates. By the time the Phoenix Police Department arrived to notify her, she was already on her way to Show Low.
Christopher was found in the lake by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Dive Team on July 18.
More: Hundreds attend vigil Hundreds attend vigil for Cesar Chavez High School student found dead in Show Low Lake
Christopher's mom files notice of claim
Attorneys for Johnson in August filed a notice of claim seeking $50 million from potential defendants.
A notice of claim is a mandatory precursor to a lawsuit against a public entity or employee in Arizona.
The notice blames the Phoenix Union High School District, Cesar Chavez's former varsity football coach Chipley and athletic director Leonard Doerfler, the Blue Ridge Unified School District, Show Low, Arizona Game & Fish Department, and Recreation Resource Management of America for "almost incomprehensible carelessness" leading to Hampton's death.
"The most horrible thing about this case is the fact that they left Christopher Hampton out in the lake to drown," said Benjamin Taylor, an attorney representing Johnson. "The coaches got back on the bus, drove away without doing a head count, without calling for help."
Chipley and Doerfler have resigned from the Phoenix Union High School District.
"The Phoenix Union High School District does not comment on litigation or possible litigation," said Richard Franco, a spokesperson for the district, in a statement. "We continue to honor the memory of Chris and keep the Hampton family in our thoughts."
Madeleine Parrish covers K-12 education. Reach her at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Navajo County authorities submit report on Christopher Hampton's death
