The girl's family tells Action News they didn't want to believe the body found in the river was her. They were hoping she was out with friends and just hadn't checked in. But on Thursday night, her family identified a picture of the body as their own Princess King.
Princess lived with her grandmother Betty Gary in Strawberry Mansion.
According to her family, Princess was going through a rebellious stage. They found out now she had cut class at Strawberry Mansion High School for the last 12 days, including today when she decided to go for a swim in the Schuylkill.
This was an idea her grandmother said Princess mentioned to her a week and a half ago, even though she didn't know how to swim.
"I told her she better not get in there because it has a terrible undertow and any time somebody jumps in it or falls in it they get pulled under or drown," Gary said.
It was just before 11:00 a.m. when police say a passerby spotted three teenagers, two boys and King, swimming in the river by Strawberry Mansion Bridge. The witness tells police the teenagers appeared to be in distress.
The man jumped in and pulled out the two boys, who both took off before officials arrived.
He jumped in a second time to retrieve Princess, but he told police, she was pulled under before he could get there.
A search ensued for hours, with boats, jet skis, and divers searching the water, and authorities combing the riverbank until the body was found trapped under a log.
As for the two boys who took off before police arrived, the family doesn't know who they are, but Princess' aunt Yvonne Gary has strong words for them.
"I am very upset with whoever left her. If you wanted to run and leave from being frightened, run, leave, get help and continue running, but let them know where she was at, where the incident happened at...believe me, your friends are not your friends when they leave you," Yvonne said.
Princess leaves behind two brothers and two sisters.
There is no word yet on any memorials or services for the 15-year-old.
