ONLY ON 13: Family wants answers after drowning of football standout

SPRING, TX (KTRK) -- An eyewitness to the drowning of a former Spring High School football standout says there's more to the story than police have reported.

Darrian "DJ" McClintock drowned last week in a body of water in Marshall, Texas known as the "Clay Pits". Investigators say the 18-year-old East Texas Baptist University Freshman was in the water, in distress when a friend tried to save him.

Both McClintock and 19-year-old Norvontre "Trey" Harrison died. The two were teammates on the school's football team.

"He never would get into the water. Unless it was waist deep. Not deep water," said DJ's mother, Kimberly Mcclintock.

She admits her son wasn't a great swimmer but insists he could swim. She couldn't fathom why he might be in the water. Until her husband was contacted by a stranger who says he was there.

"He said DJ actually got in that water to save someone else," said Darrian McClintock, Sr.

That eyewitness told McClintock's father that DJ was able to pull a female swimmer to safety before somehow slipping under.

"He could tell he had slipped in the clay and got tangled up," he said.

The caller told McClintock's parents they should know the whole story -- that DJ died a hero also, as did his teammate.

Police tell Eyewitness News they have so far not been able to verify this new information.

Its enough for DJ's parents though and certainly provides some solace, knowing their son died trying to save another's life.

"That gave me a sense of relief, a sense of like, OK. It makes sense to me now. My son actually went in to save somebody," said Kimberly McClintock.

A memorial service for DJ is scheduled for Saturday, May 7 at Fallbrook Church, 12512 Walters Rd. in Houston at 11am.

Friends and loved ones have established a "GoFundMe" page to assist his family, CLICK HERE TO DONATE.