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CNN Host Don Lemon’s Sister Drowns In Freak Accident: ‘Always Had My Back’
Don Lemon tweeted touching words about his beloved big sister.
CNN host Don Lemon is mourning the sudden loss of his sister that reportedly happened while she was at a neighborhood pond. As People reports, Lemon's older sister, L’Tanya “Leisa” Lemon Grimes, has died from an accidental drowning in their native Louisiana.
“The Lemon/Grimes family would like to thank everyone for their condolences and prayers at this time. Our family has suffered the tragic loss of L’Tanya ‘Leisa’ Lemon Grimes,” the family said in a statement to People. “We are leaning on each other for strength at this time. We appreciate privacy as we grieve the loss of our loved one.”
The TV host took to social media to share his thoughts. “Thanks everyone for your words of sympathy. Please keep my family in your prayers. Leisa was my oldest sister & partner in crime growing up. Always had my back. #RIPbigSis.”
The Times-Picayune reported the 58-year-old victim died in an accidental drowning in Livingston Parish on Wednesday. Grimes, who lived in Denham Springs, died after she fell into a neighborhood pond near Iberia Drive in Louisiana. According to the Daily Mail, she was fishing and it appears that she may have tripped into the pond.
An official with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office shared with The Times-Picayune that the drowning appears accidental. No foul play is suspected. According to WDSU in 2016, Louisiana is among the states with the highest drowning deaths. News reports have shared numerous instances of adults and teens drowning in the state, even in seemingly safe conditions. For instance, in 2010, six teens drowned while wading in the Red River. Neither the teenagers nor the adults watching them could swim. Authorities who investigated the incident shared that the bank they were at gave away and the teens likely slipped down into deeper waters.
Don Lemon is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2014, he and his mother went on an emotional journey on television that traced their ancestry from that area to Nigeria, Cameroon and the Congo.
In light of the drowning accident, a rep for CNN said that Lemon did not appear on his show on Thursday night. Lemon hosts the primetime news show CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.
[Photo: Getty Images]
