Body found in Platte River confirmed to be teenager who went missing near Fremont

FREMONT, Neb. (WOWT) – The body of a missing teenager has been found in the Platte River.

The mother of 17-year-old Jackson Potter confirmed to 6 News Thursday night that his body was found near Sokol Camp, south of Valley in Douglas County. Authorities were searching for Potter after he was swept away by the rushing waters of the Platte River south of Fremont Sunday night.

Dodge County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Brie Frank told 6 News his body was found about 11 miles down the river from where he was last seen.

Local residents saw the body on the river and helped bring it back to land.

It was the “depth, the current and the rain” that caused Potter's body to sink further and faster into the river.

6 News spoke with Potter's mother, Jennifer Black, just hours after she confirmed to authorities that the body was her son.

She said she was very grateful to the many agencies that helped with the recovery efforts. Although upset, she and the rest of her family are relieved that her body has been found.

Jackson's sister told 6 News they went frog hunting near Hormel Park that night. She stepped on a sandbar and the current swept her under the water. Jackson jumped in to retrieve her. She got out, he never made it. It's something Jackson's mother says she's grateful for.

“I’m grateful that I didn’t lose two of my children because there was a good chance that would have happened,” Jennifer Black said. “So I pray and I’m grateful that he saved her. It’s not that I wanted to choose one or the other. I just have to keep telling myself that he saved her. This is what he chose to do. This is what he wanted to do. It’s amazing.”

More than 50 people took part in the effort to find Jackson.

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