Boy, 12, Drowns After Raft Capsizes on School Trip

A school outing in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains ended in tragedy on Wednesday when a 12-year-old student from Long Island died after his raft flipped on the Lehigh River. Officials in Carbon County said Cesar Albarracin Guncay, a student in the Sag Harbor Union Free School District, drowned in what has been ruled an accident, reports Fox News. Cesar, a sixth grader, was one of five students thrown into the water when their inflatable raft overturned during a guided trip with more than 70 students in attendance, officials note.

One child, Cesar, didn't resurface, triggering a search-and-rescue effort, per officials; he was later pulled from the river and pronounced dead at 6:50pm. Authorities haven't yet disclosed details about river conditions, safety gear, or what led to the raft flipping, though officials do say life jackets were in use at the time of the accident, per News 12. An individual who IDed herself as Cesar's cousin tells NBC New York that the boy, who'd come to the US from Ecuador three years ago, had been excited about the rafting portion of the school excursion.

In a message to families, Superintendent Jeff Nichols called Cesar "a cherished member of our school family, a child who mattered deeply to all who had the privilege of knowing him." The school district notes that counselors will be available for students and staff, per News 12. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is investigating.