Sag Harbor sixth grader dies after rafting accident on school trip to the Poconos

Sag Harbor student killed in rafting accident during Poconos class trip

A sixth-grade student from the Sag Harbor Union Free School District died following a rafting accident during the school’s annual class trip to the Pocono Mountains, according to district officials. FOX 5 NY's Jodi Goldberg has the details. 

LONG ISLAND - A sixth-grade student from Sag Harbor died following a rafting accident during a school trip to the Pocono Mountains, school officials said.

What we know:

Cesar Albarracin Guncay, a student in the Sag Harbor Union Free School District, died after the accident that occurred during the annual sixth-grade class trip, according to a letter sent to families by district officials.

Lehigh River rafting incident

Dig deeper:

The accident happened around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Lehigh River in East Penn Township, Carbon County, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Timeline:

Officials said a group of five boaters was traveling in an inflatable raft as part of a larger guided excursion when the raft capsized, ejecting everyone into the river.

12-year-old Cesar did not immediately resurface.

Search-and-rescue crews later recovered Cesar , who was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m., according to the Carbon County Coroner’s Office.

"All other occupants of the raft were recovered safely," the Fish and Boat Commission said in a statement. The agency said the incident remains under investigation.

The Carbon County Coroner’s Office said the drowning happened near the D&L Trail at mile marker 99 along the Lehigh River. 

An autopsy was scheduled for Friday to determine the cause and manner of death.

Sag Harbor Schools

What they're saying:

In a letter to families, Sag Harbor school officials said Cesar died following a rafting accident during the district’s annual sixth-grade trip to the Pocono Mountains.

"It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of the passing of our beloved sixth grade student, Cesar Albarracin Guncay," the district wrote.

School officials described Cesar as "a cherished member of our school family" and said grief counselors would be available to students and staff in the coming days.