BRANFORD — A 13-year-old Suwannee County boy drowned Saturday afternoon at Little River Springs.

According to Suwannee County Sheriff Sam St. John, the victim was at the spring for a birthday party. The family and friends had been swimming in the spring as well as the Suwannee River, St. John said.

The victim was near where the spring runs into the river when he jumped in around the middle of the afternoon, St. John said. Witnesses saw the victim struggling to stay up and once he went under, they jumped in to try and rescue him.

They then called the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, which sent its boat as well as calling in the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission boat and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office dive team.

St. John said the Columbia dive team located the victim.