‘Our hearts are aching.’ 19-year-old found dead in lake was athlete at a Ky. college

Friends, family and colleagues of 19-year-old Madison Taylor have expressed their condolences and support after she was found dead from a drowning incident on Monday.

Taylor’s body was found at Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee. She was on a boat and jumped out to swim and never resurfaced, according to media reports.

Taylor was a sophomore at Union College and a member of their women’s basketball team and track and field team, according to Union College.

Union College released a statement on social media regarding the incident.

“Our hearts are aching, hearing the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes,” Union College said on their Facebook page. “We send our thoughts and prayers to her family; coaches, teammates and friends; and the entire Bulldog community.”

A GoFundMe was created to raise money for funeral expenses for Taylor’s family. It has exceeded its $15,000 as of Wednesday morning.

Taylor was the sister of Drake McCain Taylor, who almost broke into the “American Idol” top 24 in 2021. He asked his community to pray for his family on Facebook following his sister’s death.

This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 12:31 PM.