Eugene William and his two friends went for swimming. As the boys paddled along, oblivious to anything but their own lazy afternoon, the raft began to drift ever so slowly south towards the white beach at 29th street, where trouble had broken out. Several black men and women had appeared at the all-white beach and tried to enter the water. they had the legal right to swim there, but the gesture was proactive. A white mob formed and drove and drove the black group off by hurling rocks and curses. The blacks returned with reinforcements, with their own rocks and epithets. The boys had no idea about the fighting, but did notice a white man standing on some rocks throwing stones at them. kids dove underwater to make sure they weren’t hit. it was a game, as far as it went, and did not concern the teens until Eugene William suddenly sank under the water and did not come back up. John Turner Harris, treading water next to him, saw Eugene had been struck by a rock on the forehead. John tried to help Eugene but he disappeared under the water. Police refused to arrest the person who were throwing rocks at them.