Teens drowned at Cummins Falls identified

The two teenage boys who drowned Friday on a field trip to Cummins Falls State Park have been identified.

D'Donta Gray and KeyVonte Cunningham, both 13 and from Nashville, were on a field trip to the park north of Cookeville when they drowned Friday around 2 p.m. Their bodies were recovered at around 1 p.m. Saturday.

The boys were part of a group of 39 teens on the field trip hosted by Backfield in Motion, an after-school tutoring and athletics program for teen boys.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department is awaiting autopsy reports before they release any more details, according to Sheriff Brad Stafford. The Department of Children's Services, state park police and Jackson County police are still investigating.

"It's a fairly well known swimming area," said Kelly Brockman, spokesman for Tennessee Department of the Environment and Conservation, "... but it is a 'swim at your own risk' area."

Great Outdoors University, a nonprofit program that takes teenage boys on nature trips and is sponsored by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, had organized the trip. Four adults from Backfield in Motion and five chaperones from Great Outdoors University were present, according to James "Boots" Donnelly, CEO of Backfield in Motion.

Public visitation for D'Donta Gray will be 1-6 p.m. today and a public funeral will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Greater Revelations Baptist Church on 1027 12th Ave. N. in Nashville.

Visitation for KeyVonte Cunningham will be 1-6 p.m. Friday at Revelation Funeral Home with funeral services scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.

Reach Maranda Faris at 615-259-8062.