Bystander hears drowning 12-year-old’s cries for help in Puerto Rico, officials say
Two boys were knocked into dangerous waters off a popular Puerto Rico beach at nighttime, officials say.
A bystander heard their cries for help on Feb. 20 but was only able to rescue one child, the United States Coast Guard said in a news release.
The 12-year-old boy’s body was recovered two days later in the Condado Beach area in San Juan — where the boys had first been before a wave knocked them into the water, officials said.
He was visiting from Massachusetts while vacationing with his 13-year-old friend and his friend’s family, WCBV reported.
“Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones of this young boy, our thoughts and prayers are with them during this most difficult time,” Sector San Juan chief of response Cmdr. Beau Powers said.
Powers said the conditions off the beach are dangerous and “very difficult for any person to overcome.”
A San Juan travel guide urges tourists and visitors to stay out of the waters at Condado Beach because of the dangerous currents.
The U.S. Coast Guard received the report of the child out at sea around 10:05 p.m. that day. Search and rescuers did not recover the child’s body until 6:52 a.m. on Feb. 22, officials said.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Bystander hears drowning 12-year-old’s cries for help in Puerto Rico, officials say."
