CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Family and loved ones of Christopher Ruiz shared memories of how admired the 19-year-old was in the Robstown community.
On Sunday, Ruiz drowned at Lake Corpus Christi just one a week after 13-year-old Jeremiah De Leon-Smith drowned while out with friends at the same lake.
"As soon as we stopped praying the sheriff says he has been found," Ruiz' mother, Michelle Ruiz, said as she recounted the moment before lawmen told her they found her son's body in Lake Corpus Christi.
While Michelle is still trying to make sense of her son's death, she's confident that everything was done to try and save her son's life.
"Firmly believe that everyone there was doing everything they needed to do on safety," she said.
The Ruiz family had to move Christopher's funeral services to larger venues, a testament of how many lives the teen touched.
Michelle said that while her son may be gone, he left a lasting impression on everyone he met.
"He was a character, not afraid of anything," she said. "To him, he was invincible,"
Former religious mentor Hector Martinez, said Christopher had a natural light that drew everyone to him, wherever he went. Martinez is part of the Life Teen Youth Ministry at St. Anthony Church in Robstown.
He said he had the honor of seeing Christopher grow not just in his faith, but in life in general.
"He was like, 'These are some of my friends,' and I'm like, 'We just got here not that long ago,'" explaining how quickly the teen was to make friends.
Martinez said when he learned that Christopher's funeral services had been moved, he was not surprised at all.
"I expected that, that they needed somewhere bigger for him," he said. "It was fitting because he had a big personality."
Michelle said that she wants families to learn from her loss, and remember to proceed with caution when entering deep waters.
"Just take the water seriously," she said.