Swimmer identified who died in Cape Fear River

Officials in Harnett County have identified the man who died after he went missing while swimming with a group of people Friday in the Cape Fear River.

Posted 10:26 p.m. Jul 20, 2019 — Updated 2:50 a.m. Jul 27, 2019

Jason O. Boyd

, WRAL.com digital reporter

Officials in Harnett County have identified the man who died after he went missing while swimming with a group of people Friday in the Cape Fear River.

Harnett County Sheriff's Office Maj. Aaron Meredith confirmed Saturday to WRAL the man who died was Reginald Donnell Ragston, 32. His body was found after officials searched the Cape Fear River just after 5:30 p.m. on Friday near the NC 217 bridge in Erwin. He was from Smithfield.

Erwin Police Chief Jonathan Johnson said a call came in to Erwin Fire and Rescue, Erwin Police and the Harnett County Sheriff's Office on Friday about a person missing in the water. People in the group called 911 after they noticed Ragston was missing.

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