A New Jersey highschool wrestler has been discovered useless in a lake a day after he vanished whereas swimming as a part of a conventional college ‘scavenger hunt’ days earlier than he was on account of graduate.
Victor Rodriguez, 18, a senior and member of the wrestling staff at Pitman Excessive College in Gloucester County, disappeared after going swimming in Alcyon Lake at round 8.45pm on Sunday.
‘There was one other particular person on the opposite aspect of the lake and one on this aspect of the lake they usually each tried to assist however they have been rapidly, sort of overwhelmed themselves,’ Pitman Police Chief Dan McAteer mentioned, after his physique was recovered from the lake on Monday, including that they have been checked by EMS once they returned.
A number of dive groups, sonar tools and cadaver canine have been used to seek out the teenager’s physique after an in a single day search, however grassy situations within the lake made it laborious for the divers.
Swimming shouldn’t be allowed within the 17.5-acre Alcyon Lake, which is round 10 to 12 ft deep, and it is extremely darkish within the space at evening, making it tough to patrol, McAteer mentioned, in accordance with NJ.com.
Victor Rodriguez, 18, a senior and member of the wrestling staff at Pitman Excessive College in Gloucester County, disappeared after going swimming in Alcyon Lake at round 8.45pm on Sunday
‘It’s a vegetation that exists within the lake. It’s very thick,’ McAteer mentioned, in accordance with the information outlet. ‘Deeply rooted however comes very near the floor.’
Rodriguez had been trying to swim throughout the lake as a part of the varsity’s conventional scavenger hunt.
‘It’s been happening for 15-plus years,’ senior Sean Powell advised NBC 10. ‘One of many challenges is to swim throughout the lake for factors. You get factors for it. You gotta file it and sadly one thing tragic occurred.’
He added: ‘It doesn’t even really feel actual. Actually. I wrestled like half a 12 months with the child.’
Pitman Borough Mayor Michael Razze mentioned in a press release on Fb: ‘It’s with nice disappointment that after simply over 17 hours of tedious and demanding work by many first responders, Victor has been recovered.
‘The mutual love and help of our neighborhood will assist to hold us by means of this tough time. On behalf of your entire borough, our deepest condolences to his household, associates, fellow college students, and the PHS Class of 2023.’
Boats concerned within the search operation on Alcyon Lake. The physique was recovered from the lake on Monday
Rodriguez was enrolled in Deptford Excessive for the primary three years of faculty and Pitman Excessive for his Senior 12 months solely.
He posted a 30-8 file at 132 kilos at Pitman, reaching his first district closing and qualifying for the regional quarter finals for the second 12 months in a row, NJ.com reported.
On Monday evening, members of the Deptford and Pitman communities congregated at Pitman’s United Methodist Church for a vigil to recollect the lifetime of the teenager athlete.
His brother Pablo wrote in a GoFundMe account: ‘It’s with disappointment in our hearts, that we inform you of the (loss) of our beloved Victor. Tragedy caught this previous June eleventh at Alcyon Lake, when Victor Rodriguez participated in a scavenger hunt that went astray.’
The fundraiser has to date raised greater than $50,000.
Rodriguez’s cap and robe can be positioned on an empty seat in the course of the college’s commencement on Wednesday evening, NBC 10 reported.
Supply: | This text initially belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
