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Teen who drowned at Falls Lake described as 'selfless'

The family of the 15-year-old girl​​​​​​ whose body was recovered Wednesday after she went missing in Falls Lake described her as "selfless."

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WAKE FOREST, N.C. — The family of the 15-year-old girl​​​​​​ whose body was recovered Wednesday after she went missing in Falls Lake described her as "selfless."

Sitlaly Figueroa-Martinez jumped into the water to help her 10-year-old brother and her father, who were struggling in the water, the Wake County Sheriff's Office said.

The man had gone into the water to help the 10-year-old, who was struggling to return to shore.

Figueroa-Martinez then jumped into the water. Her father and brother made it to shore, but the teen disappeared.

"She was a really smart girl. She loved animals and wanted to be a veterinarian," said her sister, Maria Figueroa-Martinez.

The area where the family was swimming is not a designated swimming area and contains a 20-foot dropoff, officials said.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office, the Apex Police Department dive team, the Durham County Sheriff's Office dive team and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission officers started searching for the teen after 6 p.m. Tuesday near New Light Road and Ghoston Road.

The teen was found Wednesday.

Maria Figueroa-Martinez said her sister is the second family member to drown in the lake.

She now hopes her sister's death will caution others to stick to the designated swimming areas.

"Be careful, and when it says you can't swim, don't go in there," she said.

The family plans to bury Sitlaly Figueroa-Martinez in Mexico, where they have a lot of relatives.

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