Poconos rafting trip death claims Sag Harbor sixth grader
A 12-year-old Sag Harbor sixth grader died Wednesday in the Poconos after a class rafting trip on the Lehigh River turned fatal. Cesar Albarracin Guncay was among five people in an inflatable raft when it capsized around 5:30 p.m. in East Penn Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
Four other people were rescued. Cesar was later pulled from the water and pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m., while life jackets were in use.
Jeff Nichols' letter
Sag Harbor Superintendent Jeff Nichols told parents Wednesday night that counselors would be available for students and staff. In his letter, he wrote: “There are no words to adequately express the depth of this loss” and added that Cesar “was a cherished member of our school family, a child who mattered deeply to all who had the privilege of knowing him. His absence will leave an irreplaceable space in our classrooms, our hallways and our lives. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Cesar’s family and friends during this very sad time. We will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
The district said the sixth grade rafting trip to the Poconos was in its third year and included 74 students. Students had planned to stay overnight, but they left early and arrived back at the school at 2 a.m. Thursday.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is investigating the fatality. Spokesman Mike Parker said, “Life jackets were in use, but as with any recreational boating fatality investigation, we will conduct a review of all safety equipment.” Firefighters and coroner officials were called to a report of a drowning.
At the same time the school was bringing students home, Sag Harbor families were being directed to the Long Island Crisis Center, which has a 24-hour hotline. The immediate next step in the case is the state review of how the raft capsized and why Cesar did not immediately resurface while the other four people made it out of the water.
Sag Harbor Thursday
By Thursday, the school community was dealing with one death, four rescued passengers, and a trip that ended hours earlier than planned. For parents of the 74 students who took part, the practical result was counseling support, an early return, and a state investigation that will examine the equipment and the events on the Lehigh River.
That is the weight of this case now: a school trip meant for sixth graders became a fatal emergency, and the only path forward is the review now underway in Pennsylvania.
