The Carbon County Coroner's Office and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission released additional details Thursday about the rafting accident on the Lehigh River that claimed the life of a Sag Harbor sixth grader during a school trip on Wednesday.
An autopsy confirmed that 12-year-old Cesar Albarracin Guncay, a Pierson Middle School student, had drowned, the coroner's office said.
"The decedent was one of five occupants traveling in an inflatable raft that was part of a larger group excursion accompanied by a river guide," Jason Smith, the chief deputy coroner for Carbon County, wrote in his report. "During the excursion, the raft capsized, causing all occupants to be ejected into the river. One occupant did not immediately resurface, prompting immediate search and rescue operations. The missing occupant was subsequently recovered from the water. All other occupants of the capsized raft were safely removed from the river without further incident."
The coroner's report was a near replica of a statement released by Mike Parker, the communications director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The only material difference was that Mr. Parker's statement specified that the incident occurred "at approximately 5:30 p.m."
The coroner's report said his office had been called to the scene at 6:12 p.m. Cesar was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m.
This was the school's third trip in as many years to the Poconos, and is a highly anticipated annual event. Twelve hours before Cesar was pronounced deceased, 74 students boarded two buses for the five-hour trip to Nesquehoning, Pa., home to Whitewater Rafting Adventures.
Their day started with zip-lining and then some swimming. The children ate lunch and then they were to go rafting, according to an itinerary that has since been removed from the school's website. The planned trip was on an 11-mile section of the Lehigh River, including Class 1 rapids, according to the outfitter's website. On average the trip takes four hours.
It was sunny and 80 degrees with light winds, according to the weather site timeanddate.com.
Rain over the weekend in Lehighton, Pa., had pushed water levels in the Lehigh River to over four feet, according to data from the United States Geological Survey, but they had begun to subside and had dropped to about 3.6 feet when the schoolchildren entered the river in 13 rafts.
It was toward the end of the rafting excursion that the group encountered a fallen tree that spanned a large portion of the river, according to several children whose parents spoke to The Star.
Jeff Nichols, the superintendent of the Sag Harbor School District, had not confirmed by Friday morning how many teachers were on the trip. There were no parent chaperones on the trip.
Robert Drake, the Sag Harbor chief of police, said in a statement that his department "is working in coordination with the Sag Harbor School District and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as the investigation into the incident continues."
"I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the student's family, the school community, and all those affected by this unimaginable tragedy," he added.
Mr. Nichols first alerted parents to the accident on Wednesday evening. He shared the news of Cesar's death in an email to the school community around 11 that night. In a message on ParentSquare, he said that school counselors would be available, and added links to the Response Crisis Center and the Long Island Crisis Center, which both offer around-the-clock crisis hotlines and chats.
"We encourage families to keep close communication with their children, speak with them openly and compassionately, and contact the school whenever additional help is needed," wrote Mr. Nichols.
"On behalf of the entire district, we extend our deepest condolences to Cesar's family and loved ones during this extraordinarily difficult time. We ask our community to honor Cesar's memory and keep his family in our thoughts," he wrote.
On Friday, in another ParentSquare post, children were encouraged by Brittany Carriero, the school's principal, to wear blue "to honor the memory of our beloved student, Cesar Albarracin Guncay, as a symbol of remembrance, unity, and support for Cesar's family and friends."
After school began Friday, some parents attended an unofficial memorial service in Cesar's memory at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Sag Harbor.
A GoFundMe set up to support Cesar's family had raised more than $200,000 by midday Friday.
With Reporting by Leigh Goodstein
