12-Year-Old Sag Harbor Boy Dies in Pennsylvania Rafting Accident

A 12-year-old boy from Sag Harbor died Wednesday during a class rafting trip in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania. Cesar Albarracin Guncay was a sixth grader at Pierson Middle School. The annual school field trip included a guided rafting excursion on the Lehigh River.

The Carbon County Coroner’s Office said officials responded after receiving a report of a drowning near the 99-mile marker along the Lehigh River in East Penn Township. The raft capsized, ejecting all five people on board into the water. Guncay’s raft was separate from a larger group led by a river guide.

He did not resurface after the vessel overturned. The Lehighton Fire Department Dive Team recovered his body and transported him to a nearby staging area. The Forensic Pathology Associates at the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office determined Thursday that the cause of death was drowning.

Parker, a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission spokesperson, told NBC News that life jackets were in use at the time of the accident. Parker said any incident involving a recreational boating fatality would trigger a review of all safety equipment.

Parker noted that boating can be unpredictable and that fatalities are not something they deal with often. Last year in Pennsylvania, there were 10 recreational boating fatalities, eight of which were not wearing a life jacket.

Nichols of the school said in a statement that counselors are available to provide support to students. Hilary and Steve Bretzik, owners of Whitewater Rafting Adventures, said their entire team is heartbroken by what occurred.