'He loved everybody': Father remembers teen son killed alongside friend in dirt bike crash

CRAIG, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) - Two friends died following a dirt bike crash earlier this week. [KTRE]

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A head-on collision involving two teenage dirt bike riders claimed both lives Tuesday on Prince of Wales Island near Craig, authorities said. Alaska State Troopers identified the victims as 18-year-old Greyer Schwegel and 17-year-old Paul Lingley IV, who were close friends at the time of the accident.

Lingley was preparing to enter his senior year at Klawock High School when the crash occurred. His father, Paul Lingley III, said his son was an athletic teenager who excelled at multiple sports, with basketball being his primary passion. "He just wanted to play basketball. That was his favorite thing to do," the father recalled. Beyond athletics, Lingley was also an instrumental figure within his family unit, assisting his single father with household responsibilities and caring for his three younger siblings, ages 9 to 13.

"I've been a single dad for like the last five years and he helped me a lot," Paul Lingley III explained. The teenager managed household chores, particularly kitchen duties, and frequently picked up his siblings from school while his father was at work. The father acknowledged the profound loss, saying he was present when medical personnel pronounced his son dead at the scene.

Greyer Schwegel's father, Cody Schwegel, characterized his son as someone with admirable personal qualities. He remembered the 18-year-old as generous, thoughtful and forgiving. Paul Lingley III noted that his son frequently spoke about his friend and that the two had spent considerable time together throughout the summer months and the school year.

Since the tragedy, the small island community mobilized to support the grieving families. The Craig City School District superintendent stated the district was establishing counseling resources for affected residents. First Presbyterian Church organized a grief support gathering Thursday evening. Social media posts flooded with condolences from community members.

Paul Lingley III expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, praising the tight-knit nature of Prince of Wales Island's residents. "Everybody helps with everything, and when someone needs help, we all band together and help," he said.