Boy who drowned at Fairview Heights hotel was in town for a graduation

Officials have released the identity of the 12-year-old boy who drowned at a Fairview Heights hotel Tuesday morning.

Renard S. Lewis, of Jacksonville, Fla., was in town with his family for a high school graduation, said Calvin Dye Sr., St. Clair County coroner.

Lewis was swimming with his older sister and toddler brother at the Drury Inn, 12 Ludwig Drive, when he tried to see how long he could hold his breath underwater, according to a Fairview Heights police news release.

As the sister watched the toddler, the 12-year-old remained under water for a couple of minutes until his family was able to pull him out. His father and responding officers administered CPR until EMS took over.

The boy was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead from an apparent drowning. At this point, police are unsure of why the victim was unable to resurface, as his family described him as a good swimmer.

Dye said the tentative cause of Lewis’ death is drowning, but they are still waiting for more tests to come back.

The Drury Inn declined to make a statement on the incident.

This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Boy who drowned at Fairview Heights hotel was in town for a graduation."