Divers recovered the body of a 18-year-old boy this morning from a pond north of Greeley after he and a friend had driven an old car into the water during a stunt Friday night.

The 18-year-old, David Griego, and 19-year-old Darren Bucklen, both of Greeley, sped over a dirt ramp they built at the lake’s edge and flew 40 feet from the shore in an older car that they had cut the roof off of, said Dale Lyman, spokesman for the Union Colony First Rescue Authority in Weld County.

The car quickly sank, and the victim and his companion came to the surface, Lyman said.

Friends watched as the boys struggled in the water at 9 p.m. and one sank in 25 feet of water, Lyman said. Apparently Griego was having trouble swimming, possibly because he was injured, Lyman said.

“This is absolutely insane,” he said. “I’m not sure what would move someone to try to do this. They intentionally drove this vehicle into the lake. It’s just a huge question mark.”

Eight divers began searching for the body about 7:30 a.m., Lyman said. The body was recovered about 9:30 a.m.

The two friends had built the ramp, about 2 to 3 feet high. They were traveling about 35 mph when they reached the ramp, he said.

When the two surfaced, Griego was struggling to stay afloat in the pond, which covers about 3 acres, Lyman said.

“He was in the state of panic and was pulling the older boy down,” he said.

Divers attached a cable to the car and were pulling it out of the lake, Lyman said.

Margie Martinez, spokeswoman for the Weld County Sheriff’s Department, said an investigation is underway. Deputies may consult with the district attorney’s office for any possible charges.

“Any time anybody is going into the water they should have life vests on,” Martinez said.

Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.