Family speaks out about 12-year-old Eufaula boy’s death

EUFAULA, Ala. (WTVM) - A community is left devastated after the body of a 12-year-old was pulled out of Barbour Creek Tuesday night in Eufaula.

The proximity of the lake to the boy’s home was no more than a mile.

12-year-old, Zyrion Harris, better known as ‘Amir’, never made it home from school Tuesday afternoon.

“We always hope for a different outcome but we try to prepare for the worst and that’s what we had yesterday, the worst outcome,” expressed Police Chief Steve Watkins.

His body was found underneath the end of the dock at the Barbour Creek Landing in Eufaula.

Police said a call from a motorist about a book bag in the water came in around 5:20 p.m.

“Officers arrived met with family members and they pieced together that there was also a young child missing in the same area at the same time.” said the police chief.

According to Watkins, witnesses said the boy was last seen walking towards the lake after getting off the school bus.

Teams were organized to search the entire lake, surrounding businesses and other close locations.

“Because we didn’t know what we had at that time, we just know we had a floating book bag and a missing juvenile,” he explained.

Another witness stated he saw the 12-year-old and talked with him at the dock.

The father of Harris, Andrew Maurice, said he doesn’t want people to see his son’s death as a tragedy, but to remember the goodness of him.

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