TOWN OF BURLINGTON - The morning after searchers recovered 14-year-old Darieus Nelson's body Thursday, there is a report a friend who was swimming with Nelson said that Darieus yelled "I swim like Michael Phelps" before going into the water and eventually drowning.

Nelson’s family rushed to the lake when they learned the news and leaned on each other, grateful the 14-year-old’s body has finally been found.

His aunt, Patricia Donald told TODAYS TMJ4, "Darieus was happy-go-lucky, he was so sweet and he was so precious and we loved him so much."
 
Darieus disappeared on Browns Lake Tuesday afternoon while boating with a summer camp group. 

Stephan Kingue, 13, told the Racine Journal Times that Darieus took his life jacket off.

" 'I can swim.  I swim like Michael Phelps,' " said Stephan.

After being told by a chaperone that people who didn't know how to swim had to keep their life jackets on, according to Stephan, Darieus still jumped into the water and started thrashing around when he began to drown.

Michael Hicks, a chaperone on the trip, then tried to save him, but he could not put the life jacket on Darieus and was having problems staying afloat himself until he was rescued.

Recovery teams searched by chopper for Darieus,  while divers scanned the water. 

At 2:25 Thursday afternoon, boat patrolmen found Darieus’ body floating in the middle of the lake, still wearing shorts and a pair of socks. The body was taken immediately to Waukesha County for an autopsy.
 
I’m relieved for the family, they can start the grieving process, they can start the healing process," said Chief John Bechman with the Town of Burlington's Marine Enforcement Division.
 
Now the attention in now focused on 36-year-old Michael Hicks. He was chaperoning the youth trip to Brown’s Lake, though Darieus’ family says the teen never had permission to be there. Hicks’ lawyer, Jonathan LaVoy, says his client is devastated.
 
"He is incredibly sad about the loss of Darieus whom he was extremely close to," said LaVoy.
 
A candlelight vigil for Darieus has been organized by people who live out near the lake. His family and the community will gather Friday at 8 p.m.