Authorities say the teen about 20 to 30 yards in the San Jacinto River when he appeared to wave to his friends and then disappeared under the water.
The teen was part of a group of five teens from Austin High school, who planned the day of celebration at the beach just one day before their graduation.
Authorities are still trying to figure out why the teen drowned, looking into the possibility that he misjudged the depth of the water.
The other students are saddened over the death.
"We just came out here to have a good time, you know, before graduation, and something like this happens," said student Miguel Rodriguez.
"We began our investigation into what happened, said Sgt Wiley Hogue with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "Officers are trying to find a cause of death."
Authorities say the San Jacinto River can reach up to 20 feet deep.
The victim's name has not been released.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says men are four times more likely than women to die in a drowning. The CDC says most drownings in lakes and rivers are people who are 15 years old or older.
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