Fall River Interim Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Smith is offering condolences and support to the community following the drowning of a 17-year-old former Fall River Public Schools student in South Watuppa Pond.
“We woke up this morning to the heartbreaking news of the tragic loss of a 17-year-old on South Watuppa Pond,” Smith said in a statement Monday. “While his name has not yet been publicly released, we have received permission from his family to share that he was a former student of Fall River Public Schools.”
“The sudden and unexpected death of a young person touches an entire community,” Smith said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all those who are grieving. Although Fall River is a city, we are also a close-knit community, and tragedies like this are felt by many of us, even those who may not have a direct connection to the young man.”
To help those affected, school counselors will be available Tuesday, July 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Counseling Hub near the main office at B.M.C. Durfee High School. The support is available to any Fall River Public Schools student or staff member seeking a safe place to talk or receive counseling.
According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, Fall River Police received a 911 call at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday reporting that a 17-year-old boy had disappeared while swimming in South Watuppa Pond.
Fall River Police, Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Air Wing, and the State Police Underwater Recovery Team responded to the scene. Divers located the teen at about 11:35 p.m. in a search area with zero visibility. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said the teen was with two other juveniles at the pond. Two of them entered the water to swim to a floating dock, but the victim began struggling in the water and never made it back to shore.
Authorities said there is no indication of foul play.
The incident remains under investigation by Massachusetts State Police, State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, and the Fall River Police Department.
Here is an official statement from the Fall River Fire Department:
