Cory DeWayne Tucker, 16, Alcohol Poisoning

Cory Tucker was hanging out with a group of neighborhood friends the night of September 23, 2007.  A 25-year-old neighbor, Richard Bryant,  supplied alcohol to the group.  On September 24, Cory was found dead.

As always, my condolences to his family and friends

Cory Tucker was a student at Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School in Georgia.

Fox 61 TV report 

A 16-year-old North Georgia boy is dead Monday, and his family says alcohol poisoning is to blame. Now the man who the family claims bought the booze is behind bars.

Cory Tucker, a student at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High, spent Saturday night drinking with his friends, according to his mother, April Tucker. But the next morning, Cory did not wake up. His best friend found him unresponsive.

"And then, his friends came knocking on my door Sunday morning, and it was like it wasn't real. It was like it was a dream," Tucker said.

But it wasn't a dream, and now this mother is facing the reality that her 16-year-old son is dead.

"Unfortunately, when you go to the funeral home and you have to start picking out caskets and making arrangements," she said, "you realize for sure your child is never coming home again."

Because Tucker says authorities told her he made a fatal mistake with his friends Saturday night.

"We had no idea he wanted to drink," she said.

Tucker says the drinking went on inside a home on Carol Drive -- just down the street from where Cory lived. Cups and beer cans litter the front yard.

"Doctors in the emergency room told us the amount of alcohol in his system could kill a grown man that drank on a daily basis," she said.

Tucker says it was a grown man who bought her son and his friends the alcohol.

Monday night, that man was arrested. According to guards at the Catoosa County Jail, Richard Allen Bryant, Jr., has been charged with contributing to underage consumption and involuntary manslaughter.

"And the hardest part is knowing there's no one truly to blame but Cory," she said. "Ninety percent of the blame has to be on him because he's the one who drank it."

And the rest of the blame, she says, falls on the neighbor she claims supplied the booze.

She wants justice, although justice, she admits, will not ease the pain.

"More than a nightmare," Tucker said. "The worst nightmare anyone could ever go through. I mean, your kids are supposed to bury you. You're not supposed to bury your kids."

From the Chattanooga Times Free Press:

RINGGOLD, Ga. -- The father of a 16-year-old boy who died from alcohol poisoning said he hopes his family's tragedy can remind other teenagers to avoid substance abuse and tragedies of their own.

"I hope all the other kids around the Chattanooga area see what happened," said Robert Tucker, whose son, Cory Dewayne Tucker, died Sunday.

"Other kids, hopefully, learned from this," the distraught father said.

A neighbor, Richard Allen Bryant Jr., 26, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and five counts of providing alcohol to a minor for allegedly supplying liquor to a group of minors. He is being held in the Catoosa County Detention Center, and no bond has been set.

Catoosa County Sheriff Phil Summers said it is suspected that alcohol was provided to children as young as 11 years old.

He said five other minors apparently were drinking in an outbuilding behind a home on Carroll Drive in Catoosa County along with Cory Tucker.

The teen was found lying face down on the floor Sunday morning, and his friends could not rouse him, the sheriff said.

"This incident is sad for the families and difficult to understand that an adult would furnish alcohol to minors," Sheriff Summers said.

He said police "constantly answer calls" to the neighborhood, and investigators are working to determine if any other adults should face charges.

"It's a constant thing for the sheriff's office to have to deal with young people up there," Sheriff Summers said. "At some point, law enforcement can just do so much. It takes families to get involved."

Robert Tucker said his son and his friends frequently visited the neighbor's outbuilding to play video games, but he never suspected his son was abusing alcohol.

Mr. Tucker said his son was always prompt with his chores, made good grades at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School and was recommended for the Governor's Honor Program.

"I never smelled alcohol on his breath," Mr. Tucker said. "You always think it will never happen at your house, but now it's happening at mine."

Mr. Byrant's mother, Johnnie Sue Bryant, said her son had purchased liquor on Saturday to celebrate his 26th birthday.

She said her son didn't know minors were drinking until he awoke the next morning and found Cory Tucker dead.

Ms. Bryant said her son was admired by neighborhood children, and he is "tore up inside" over Cory Tucker's death.

"I feel for the parents," Ms. Bryant said. "My son is in jail, and I feel like I'm going to lose him. But my loss is nothing compared to theirs, and I can't even tell them I'm sorry."

Additional counselors have been at Lakeview-Fort Ogle-thorpe High School this week to help students cope with the teenager's death, officials said.

Cadets from the school's ROTC program will provide special services at Cory's funeral today, said retired Lt. Col. Paul Harwart.

Cory was platoon leader of his ROTC company and was being considered for company commander, Mr. Harwart said.

"He's the kind of kid that would light up a room," Mr. Harwart said. "Everyone liked Cory."

In 2004, at least nineteen people of college age  died of alcohol toxicity (alcohol poisoning, alcohol overdose).

Sources

Times Free Press http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=22228&zoneid=77

"There's no place  that's actually keeping data on alcohol deaths"--Thomas Kunstman MD

In all cases, my deepest condolences to family and friends.

Underage Alcohol Deaths 2004
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2005
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2006

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system. The victim may experience the following:

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
• No response to pinching the skin
• Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
• Seizures
• Slowed breathing  (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention

Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:

• Drinking black coffee
• Taking a cold bath or shower
• Walking it off

The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.

These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:

Taylor Webster's memorial foundation.  Taylor died of alcohol  poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working  to get the message out, telling their stories and providing  information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms  of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation.  On November 5, 1998  Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated  his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his  age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died  that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy."  The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation.   The mission of the Gordie Foundation is to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing.

Comments

[michelle harris]

He was my best friend && I love him so much && I miss him so bad I really hate Allen 4 doing that because He was told not 2 buy the alchol I grew up with Cory && My Dad bought my house from his Grandfather Wayne McNiece but maybe it was his time 2 go we will see him again 1day i love you Cory Tucker R.I.P C.D.T 4.9.91-9.23.07

[virginia proctor]

I am the sister of Allen and i just wanted to say that i am very sorry about the death of corey tucker. I have two beautiful kids of my own and i couldnt imagine losing one of them. Allen is to blame but also the parents are. All those boys drink on a regular basis and got high everyday. Read all the statements Allen was a sleep when corey got the liquor.

[jessica]

cory was a close friend of mine,as was Allen.Allen loved cory,he would nvr have hurt him on purpose.Although,yes,he is to blame for purchasing the liquor,cory drank it...i know the truth behind wats in the news paper,wat happens and or happened in the nieghborhood on a day to day basis,but still i miss them both dearly.

[Ginny]

Allen is not to blame yes he did buy the liquor but he was asleep when Corey got it. Most of these kids and adults are trash and they deserve to be were allen is today. Allen i love you and i am behind you a 100 percent.

[Ginny]

Thank you Jessica for what you said

[cassie daniels]

I have known cory and his family for years, i datd his cousin travis for four years and his mom starla is marring my dad. we grew up on the same road as kids. i love u cory and i think about u all the time ill see u again one day

[olivia]

I'm sorry for everyone's loss. This is just so sad to hear from all of you. Who could imagine a child from dying as a result of alcohol overdose? This is just shocking for me.